Anxiety Disorder
You are the nurse educator preparing an orientation on cognitive or mental health illness. There is a need to address the many clients with cognitive issues that seek healthcare services and how to better understand their needs. Choose a cognitive/mental health illness that you feel less knowledgeable about and address the following prompts by including two to three examples of each bullet point:
Choose a cognitive or mental health illness.
What is it? How is it diagnosed? How is it treated?
How does it differ from a physical or “visible” illness?
Address the following for your chosen diagnosis.
Historical
Socioeconomic impact
Political issues or impact
Educational needs
Topographical findings
Geographical impact
Cultural impact
Include interdisciplinary interventions for this disease.
Discuss the impact of a patient’s value systems on management of this disease.
Address the following health-care practices:
Acute versus preventive care
Barriers to health care
Impact of pain and the sick role
Cultural practices
Identify challenges related to:
Learning styles
Autonomy
Educational preparation
Disease management
Sample Answer
I chose to focus on dementia for this orientation. Dementia is a general term for a decline in cognitive function that is severe enough to interfere with a person’s daily life. It is a progressive brain disorder that usually affects older adults.
What is dementia?
Dementia is caused by damage to brain cells. This damage can be caused by a number of factors, including Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia, and frontotemporal dementia.
How is dementia diagnosed?
Dementia is diagnosed by a doctor. The doctor will take a medical history, perform a physical exam, and order some tests, such as blood tests, brain scans, and neuropsychological tests.