Assignment: Assessing and Treating Pediatric Clients With
Mood Disorders
When pediatric clients present with mood disorders, the
process of assessing, diagnosing, and treating them can be quite complex.
Children not only present with different signs and symptoms than adult clients
with the same disorders, but they also metabolize medications much differently.
As a result, psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners must exercise
caution when prescribing psychotropic medications to these clients. For this
Assignment, as you examine the client case study in this week’s Learning Resources,
consider how you might assess and treat pediatric clients presenting with mood
disorders.
Note: This Assignment is the first of 10 assignments that
are based on interactive client case studies. For these assignments, you will
be required to make decisions about how to assess and treat clients. Each of
your decisions will have a consequence. Some consequences will be
insignificant, and others may be life altering. You are not expected to make
the “right” decision every time; in fact, some scenarios may not have a “right”
decision. You are, however, expected to learn from each decision you make and
demonstrate the ability to weigh risks versus benefits to prescribe appropriate
treatments for clients.
Learning Objectives
Students will:
Assess client factors and history to develop personalized
plans of antidepressant therapy for pediatric clients
Analyze factors that influence pharmacokinetic and
pharmacodynamic processes in pediatric clients requiring antidepressant therapy
Evaluate efficacy of treatment plans
Analyze ethical and legal implications related to
prescribing antidepressant therapy to pediatric clients
The Assignment
Examine Case Study: An African American Child Suffering From
Depression. You will be asked to make three decisions concerning the medication
to prescribe to this client. Be sure to consider factors that might impact the
client’s pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic processes.
At each decision point stop to complete the following:
Decision #1
Which decision did you select?
Why did you select this decision? Support your response with
evidence and references to the Learning Resources.
What were you hoping to achieve by making this decision?
Support your response with evidence and references to the Learning Resources.
Explain any difference between what you expected to achieve
with Decision #1 and the results of the decision. Why were they different?
Decision #2
Why did you select this decision? Support your response with
evidence and references to the Learning Resources.
What were you hoping to achieve by making this decision?
Support your response with evidence and references to the Learning Resources.
Explain any difference between what you expected to achieve
with Decision #2 and the results of the decision. Why were they different?
Decision #3
Why did you select this decision? Support your response with
evidence and references to the Learning Resources.
What were you hoping to achieve by making this decision?
Support your response with evidence and references to the Learning Resources.
Explain any difference between what you expected to achieve
with Decision #3 and the results of the decision. Why were they different?
Also include how ethical considerations might impact your
treatment plan and communication with clients.
