Signature Assignment:
Understanding disease conditions specific to advanced primary care is vital to ensuring proper and timely diagnosis and treatment to improve healthcare outcomes for the patient. The purpose of this assignment is to evaluate one disease condition (COPD) in the adult population and explore current evidence-based guidelines and treatments to determine a proper plan of care.
This assignment will focus on the following course student learning outcomes (CSLO):
- Evaluate the role of the advanced practice nurse (APN) and the Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) in particular, as it relates to obtaining a health history, performing a health assessment on adolescents, adults, and elderly from diverse cultural groups presenting with chronic and some acute physical and emotional concerns to an ambulatory, acute and/or managed health care delivery system (EOPSLO # 1, 2, 3, 4, 9).
- Examine the principles and theories applicable to risk assessment and primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention to promote the optimum health of clients experiencing chronic or multisystem health problems (EOPSLO# 3 and 8).
- Compare and contrast the possible interrelationships and impact of demographic characteristics, health beliefs, values, family situations, environment, and community resources on the incidence and management outcome of chronic and some acute conditions of adult clients (EOPSLO # 2, 6, 7, and 9)
- Incorporate epidemiological, social, and environmental research data in the assessment, holistic planning and outcome evaluation of interventions aimed at the diagnosis and management of the adult client’s health/illness status, with emphasis on common chronic illnesses of adult individuals of diverse ethnic and cultural groups (EOPSLO # 6, 7, and 9).
- Examine the interrelationships and influences of genetics, age, gender, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, mental health, lifestyle, family situation, culture or subculture, health beliefs and values on the differential diagnosis and selection of screening and therapeutic agents for the management of selected chronic and multisystem illnesses of adult clients, families, and groups (EOPSLO# 3, 8 and 9).
- Synthesize the following concepts in the advanced nursing care of the client experiencing chronic multisystem illness: the advanced nurse-client relationship, client teaching-coaching function, professional role enactment, client empowerment, mutual participation in health care decision-making, ethics, client education and counseling, change theory and process, and collaboration in health care delivery (i.e., interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary, multicultural teams and global nursing) (EOPSLO # 2, 3, 4, 7, and 9).
- Compare and contrast pharmacological and non-pharmacological/alternative therapeutic measures for the client experiencing chronic and/or multisystem diseases taking into consideration pharmacotherapeutics prescriptive legal requirements for APNs and issues of polypharmacy (EOPSLO# 6, 7, and 9).
- Utilize computer technology in synthesizing scientific and research-based knowledge regarding health care issues and problems of multicultural, multiethnic adults and populations at risk for health disparities (EOPSLO# 5, 8, and 9).
Instructions: Please choose one adult health condition learned in the course (COPD). Once the health condition is chosen, you are to write a three-to-five-page paper in APA format, 7th edition, with the following sections and level 2 headings:
Introduction
- Brief overview of adult health
- Introduce the disease condition chosen
- Importance of understanding the condition
Presentation of Condition
- Describe the condition chosen and its pathophysiology.
- What signs/symptoms can be found in the patient?
- Identify if there can be presentation variations based on culture, race, ethnicity, age, etc.
Diagnosis of Condition
- Diagnostic testing (including imaging, labs, and other necessary evaluations based on condition)
- Clinical evaluation via medical history and physical examination
Treatment of Condition
- Medications
- Treatments
- Managing symptoms (if needed)
- Non-pharmacological treatments (if applicable)
Potential Health Risks if Left Untreated
- Physical and mental health risks
Recent Evidence-Based Advancements in Condition
Choose one evidence-based treatment that has been shown to improve the condition within the last 5 years.
- Briefly summarize the treatment and results.
Conclusion
- Recap points discussed in the paper
- Importance of management and early diagnosis (if applicable)