Care of the Client Experiencing Depression

Price (includes one year of access and CE):  US$18 Course Code: 7SENNF-PRV-09-libdep CE: 3.50 Hours. Post Test Score Required for Successful Completion: 80%

Course Overview:

Mrs. Morse, who is admitted to a simulated psychiatric unit, is experiencing a severe depression. This depression is divided into three units and allows the learner to complete an initial assessment and begin a plan of care: theory relevant to the initiatory and working stage of a therapeutic relationship; and apply facts about treatment modalities to discharge planning for Mrs. Morse. Content includes: assessing suicidal risk potential; selecting empathetic communication techniques; stating indications and protocols for DST; differentiating between characteristics associated with endogenous and exogenous depression; formating strategies to deal with countertransference; and defining the mechanisms of action of MAO inhibitors, tricyclic antidepressions, SSRLs, and electroconvulsive therapy.

Course Objectives:

By completion of Unit I, the learner will be able to:

• identify the areas to be assessed during the psychiatric interview and mental status examination.
• determine nursing strategies to obtain assessment information.
• identify the presence of high suicide potential/risk.
• select empathetic communication techniques and state the rationale for their use.
• employ the nursing process in the care of the newly admitted depressed client.

By completion of Unit II, the learner will be able to:

• assess signs and symptoms and formulate nursing diagnoses for a severely depressed client.
• plan, establish priorities, and evaluate attainment and effectiveness of nursing interventions.
• recognize the possibility of and formulate strategies to deal with countertransference in the depressed client.

By completion of Unit III, the learner will be able to:

• describe the biogenic amine theory of depression.
• describe the action of MAO inhibitors, tricyclic antidepressants, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in the treatment of depressed clients.
• apply the nursing process in the care of a client receiving antidepressant medication and/or ECT.
• apply the nursing process in the ongoing care of a depressed client who is engaged in working through problems associated with the illness.

Copyright© 2010 by HealthSoft, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

HealthSoft, Inc. is an approved provider of continuing nursing education by the New York State Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation.

It has been assigned code 7SENNF-PRV-09.

This course is updated annually. Expiration date: 5/1/11

The faculty and planners of this course have no vested interests to disclose.

This course has received no commercial support.