NURS 6551:Week 2: Common Screenings for Women Essay Assignment Paper

This week you explore guidelines for common screenings for women, including their strengths and limitations and their role in clinical decision making. You also examine patient histories, diagnoses, and treatment and management plans as you begin working on your Comprehensive Patient Assessment, which focuses on the care of one patient from your Practicum Experience.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this week, students will:

• Evaluate strengths and limitations of guidelines for screening procedures
• Analyze the influence of guidelines on clinical decision making
• Analyze the impact of advanced practice nurses on issues related to screening guidelines
• Evaluate diagnoses for patients
• Evaluate treatment and management plans
• Understand and apply key terms, principles, and concepts related to clinical guidelines on screening procedures
• Analyze differences between common screenings for younger women and common screenings for older women

Learning Resources

Schuiling, K. D., & Likis, F. E. (2017). Women’s gynecologic health (3rd ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.

• • Chapter 5, “Gynecologic Anatomy and Physiology” (pp. 77-93)

This chapter explores female anatomy and physiology with a focus on the female reproductive anatomy. It also describes the physiology of the menstrual cycle, including the hormonal feedback system and the ovarian and endometrial cycles.

• • Chapter 6, “Gynecologic History and Physical Examination” (pp. 95-133)

This chapter identifies the core knowledge and skill base required for obtaining a gynecologic health history and performing physical examinations such as pelvic and breast exams.

 

• • Chapter 7, “Periodic Screening and Health Maintenance” (pp. 135-149)

This chapter explores preventive health services for women such as screening tests, counseling, immunization, and chemoprevention. It also compares screening recommendations from organizations such as the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and American Cancer Society.

 

• • Chapter 13, “Intimate Partner Violence” (pp. 303-322)

This chapter defines intimate partner violence (IPV) and describes the epidemiology and health effects of IPV. It also examines screening tools for assessing IPV and strategies for managing patients experiencing IPV, particularly pregnant women, adolescents, and older women.

 

• • Chapter 14, “Sexual Assault” (pp. 327-349)

This chapter examines strategies for identifying sexual violence and providing care to women who are victims of sexual violence. It explores potential health consequences of sexual violence on women, including physical injury, spread of sexually transmitted diseases, and unintended pregnancy.

Tharpe, N. L., Farley, C., & Jordan, R. G. (2017). Clinical practice guidelines for midwifery & women’s health (5th ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Publishers.

• • Chapter 6, “Care of the Well Woman Across the Life Span”
    • “Primary Preventive” Health Care for Well Women” (pp. 301-303)

This section examines social, mental, and physical issues that affect women during different stages of their lives. It also examines the provider’s role in prevention and care.

• • • “Care of the Well Woman: Health Assessment and Screening for Women of Childbearing Age” (pp. 303-310)

This section provides a list of health information for the health care provider to address during well-woman examinations, as well as an immunization schedule for women across the life span.

• • • “Care of the Well Woman: Health Assessment and Screening During Menopause” (pp. 338-349)

This section explains the physiologic changes that occur during menopause, including health issues that are likely to present. It also examines treatment and management options related to diet, exercise, sleep, and sexual comfort.

• • • Chapter 8, “Primary Care in Midwifery and Women’s Health”
      • “Care of the Woman: Prevention of Osteoporosis” (pp. 576-584)

This section explores factors that increase risks of osteoporosis in women, particularly postmenopausal women. It also provides strategies for identifying risk factors of osteoporosis and diagnosing and treating the condition.

• • • • “Care of the Woman in Need of Smoking Cessation” (pp. 471-475)

This section outlines factors that impact successful smoking cessation. It also describes treatment options and patient education strategies for women in need of smoking cessation.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2012b). Screening tests and vaccines. Retrieved from http://www.womenshealth.gov/screening-tests-and-vaccines/screening-tests-for-women/

 

This article provides guidelines for recommended screening tests for women. The guidelines are categorized by age and type of test.

Document: Comprehensive Write-up Guide (PDF)

Required Media

Laureate Education (Producer). (2013d). Women’s issues and tough conversations. Retrieved from CDN database. (NURS 6551)

In this media presentation, Dr. Rebecca Lee and Cindy Nypaver discuss the importance of the role of the advanced practice nurse when caring for women.

Please click on the following link for the transcript: Transcript (PDF)

Optional Resources

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2012b). Women’s health. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/women/

National Institutes of Health. (2012). Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH). Retrieved from http://orwh.od.nih.gov/

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2012a). Womenshealth.gov. Retrieved from http://www.womenshealth.gov/

Discussion: Guidelines on Screening Procedures

The goal of health promotion and education is to help prevent disease in patients. However, this is not always successful, and disease it not always preventable. With disease, early detection is ideal, often making screening procedures a routine part of clinical care. Unfortunately, many patients do not utilize these health services. This can be attributed to lack of awareness or access to care, financial concerns, or even levels of comfort with health care providers. In your role as the advanced practice nurse, you must be aware of potential obstacles for patients and implement strategies to ensure patients receive necessary screenings. Although a variety of screening procedures are recommended for women at various stages of life, not all screenings are appropriate for all patients. Understanding the strengths and limitations of each screening, as well as current guidelines for use is essential to effectively facilitate patient care. For this Discussion, the course Instructor will assign a specific topic for you to research.

To prepare:

• Review this week’s media presentation, as well as Chapters 6 and 8 of the Tharpe et al. text and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services article in the Learning Resources.
• Research guidelines on screening procedures for the topic assigned to you by the course Instructor (e.g., guidelines on screening for domestic violence, safety, nutrition, osteoporosis, heart disease, mental health, eating disorders, thyroid disease, pap smear, mammogram, cancer, and sexually transmitted infections). Note: The course Instructor will assign a topic to you by Day 1 of this week.
• Reflect on strengths and limitations of the screening guidelines.
• Consider how the guidelines might support your clinical decision making.

By Day 3

Post an explanation of the guidelines on screening procedures for the topic assigned to you. Include an explanation of strengths and limitations of the guidelines. Then, explain how the guidelines might support your clinical decision making.

Read a selection of your colleagues’ responses.

By Day 6

Respond to at least two of your colleagues on two different days who were assigned different topics than you. Explain a patient scenario in which your colleague’s guidelines might not be appropriate. Then, explain how you would provide care for the patient in the scenario. Finally, explain how you, as an advanced practice nurse, might be able to impact issues related to these screening guidelines.

Note: For this Discussion, you are required to complete your initial post before you will be able to view and respond to your colleagues’ postings. Begin by clicking on the “Post to Discussion Question” link and then select “Create Thread” to complete your initial post. Remember, once you click on Submit, you cannot delete or edit your own posts, and you cannot post anonymously. Please check your post carefully before clicking on Submit!