1. As a group, discuss the impact of a diagnosis of Parkinson's disease on a 32-year-old female patient. Discuss nursing considerations for this patient.
2. Assign each group one of the antiparkinsonism drugs (anticholinergics, dopaminergics, or adjunctive therapies). Each group lists nursing considerations appropriate for a patient taking a drug from the assigned group. For each nursing consideration, provide clear rationale explaining why this consideration is important.
2. Select a patient in your clinical setting with an ordered antiparkinsonism drug. Determine which drug class the drug belongs to. Compare the drug to other drugs in the identified class and to drugs in other antiparkinsonism classifications.
3. Select a patient in the clinical setting with an ordered antiparkinsonism drug who does not have Parkinson's disease. Determine why the patient is getting the drug. Explain the desired therapeutic actions.
4. Conduct Internet research to find a current theory of the cause of Parkinson's disease. A good place to start the search is the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Summarize the theory and compare the theory to the clinical presentation of Parkinson's disease.
5. You are assigned to a 40-year-old male with a diagnosis of Parkinson's disease who is starting on a new regimen of Sinemet. Conduct an Internet search to find information that you can use in teaching the patient about his medication. Develop appropriate teaching guides for the patient.