Bipolar Disorder Comprehensive Nursing Essay Example

Bipolar Disorder Comprehensive Nursing Essay Example

Case Overview

In the selected case scenario, the patient is a 47-year-old woman diagnosed with bipolar disorder and anxiety. For several years she has been prescribed duloxetine and quetiapine and has diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia as comorbidities. She also smokes and presents with being overweight and experiencing sexual dysfunctions. Part of a PMHNP is to evaluate, monitor, and manage psychotropic side effects in a safe way (Chen et al., 2018). Therefore, this post purposes of outlining a PMHNP’s approach to manage both the patient’s weight concern and sexual side effects that she is currently experiencing.(Bipolar Disorder Comprehensive Nursing Essay Example)

Two Approaches To Manage the Patient’s Weight Concern

To manage the psychotropic medication-induced weight gain, the PMHNP offering healthcare services could utilize non-pharmacological strategies like diet and exercises reinforced with pharmacological interventions Topiramate.  Kim et al. (2020) note that dietary and exercise-based interventions combined with medication, specifically Topiramate, in this context can be used to achieve loss. Topiramate is a comparatively safe drug with minimal contraindications hence its choice. Likewise, to address the patient’s sexual dysfunction experiences would call prescribing either Bupropion or buspirone as off-label medication interventions for the 47-year-old patient with diminished libido induced by prescription antidepressants (Goldstein et al., 2017).(Bipolar Disorder Comprehensive Nursing Essay Example)

Approach to Managing the Sexual Dysfuntion side Effects She is Experiencing

To manage the sexual dysfunction side effect that this paptients continues to experience, I would introduce bupropion or mirtazapine. Bupropion according to Lorenz et al(2017) as an antidepressant has better adverse side effect profile making it the treatment of choice as the woman in context has experessed concern about her sexual performance. However,  the decision to introduce bupropion wiil follow a practitioner – patiet discussion  to identify what strateigies the patient has already tried since there exists a probability the patient has measures that are potentially effective and only needs reassurance to continue.

Connecticut(CT) PMHNP Prescribing Laws

While not prescribing additional medications, Connecticut is one of the 28 states in the US where qualified Nurse Practitioners only practice full practice authority after practicing under physician oversight for thirty-six months and two thousand hours. CT recognizes advancved practice urses as primary care providers ad after meeting the mandatory requirements  while collaborating with a physician are allowed to [prescribe, dispense , and administer medicines. The medications that the PMHNP can administer include Schedule II ti V controlled substances  as experessly outlined in their written collaborative agreement.(Bipolar Disorder Comprehensive Nursing Essay Example)

Antidepressants interfere with serotonin, the anxiety and mood regulating neurotransmitter that may increase cravings for carbohydrate-rich nutrition intake. The post also emphasizes the development of SD in depression patients could be caused by antidepressant prescribing as anything that interferes with serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine is bound to interfere with the sexual functioning physiology. Therefore, the PMHNP has the responsibility to devise medication and non-medication measures to resolve weight gain and SD to enhance antidepressant medication adherence.(Bipolar Disorder Comprehensive Nursing Essay Example)