PMHNPs (Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners) are crucial to the provision of quality health care. According to Kumar et al. (2020), they “have the opportunity, as well as the ethical and professional obligation, to play a leading role in improving child and adolescent mental health” (p. 275). In the given scenario, the PMHNP should approach the situation professionally to assess the patient’s status and needs, consider risk factors, and treat the diagnosed condition accordingly. It is necessary to conduct a medical screening of the patient and establish the cause of insomnia (Kumar et al., 2020). Furthermore, the PMHNP needs to consider the staff member’s request to increase the Trazodone dosage. It is vital to determine the benefits and risks associated with this intervention for the particular patient. In the given scenario, it is a male with a severe intellectual disability (ID) aged 17. As noted by Bhaumik and Alexander (2020), “sleep disturbance is common in ID and a wide variety of sedatives have been used from time to time to provide short-term relief (p. 196). The use of trazodone in patients with intellectual disabilities is similar to the general population.
Therefore, the PMHNP can recommend the following interventions to the group home staff. The Trazodone dosage can be increased up to 300 mg due to its reported effect on patient behavior (Bhaumik & Alexander., 2020). At the same time, this drug administration should occur 30 minutes prior to bedtime to ensure efficiency (Bhaumik & Alexander., 2020). In case of ineffective treatment and further occurrence of the problem, alternative sleep aids might be recommended. Overall, the PMHNP’s role in enhancing the mental health and well-being of patients is essential.
References
Bhaumik, S., & Alexander, R. (Eds.). (2020). Oxford textbook of the psychiatry of intellectual disability. Oxford University Press.
Kumar, A., Kearney, A., Hoskins, K., & Iyengar, A. (2020). The role of psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners in improving mental and behavioral health care delivery for children and adolescents in multiple settings. Archives of Psychiatric Nursing, 34(5), 275-280. Web.