Preparing the Discussion

Follow these guidelines when completing each component of the discussion. Contact your course faculty if you have questions. 

General Instructions 

The purpose of this discussion is to examine disease processes associated with a client scenario following the instructions below. The course faculty will reveal the disease process at the end of the week. 

Step 1: Carefully read the following client scenario: 

Wilbur, a 55-year-old male client, presents to the NP complaining of a flat, purple-colored rash on his back and chest. Wilbur states the rash is not painful or itchy. He states it has been there for months, and he has also developed a white coating on his tongue and has “been sick a lot lately.”  

Step 2: Identify your assigned disease process from the chart below. Your assigned disease process is based on the first letter of your last name. 

Last NameDisease Process A – H Condition: Allergies I – P Condition: Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) 

Q – Z Condition: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)

Step 3: Answer the discussion prompts below with explanation and detail, providing complete references for all citations. 

Step 4: Reply to a peer with a different assigned condition. 

Include the following sections:  

1. Application of Course Knowledge: Answer all questions/criteria with explanations and detail. 

1. Discuss the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms of your assigned disease process. Which clinical manifestations observed in Wilbur’s case may be explained by the pathophysiological mechanisms? 
2. Analyze Wilbur’s clinical manifestations as they relate to your assigned disease process. Do these findings support your assigned disease process? Why or why not?  
3. Identify and justify the diagnostic tests (including labs, imaging, or other diagnostic tests) that may be most appropriate for investigating your assigned disease process as the diagnosis for Wilbur. Discuss anticipated test results.  
4. Compare and contrast your response with a peer assigned to a different condition. Does their condition fit Wilbur’s case? Why or why not? Explain your rationale. 

2. Integration of Evidence: Integrate relevant scholarly sources as defined by program expectations:

1. Cite a scholarly source in the initial post.
2. Cite a scholarly source in one faculty response post.
3. Cite a scholarly source in one peer post.
4. Accurately analyze, synthesize, and/or apply principles from evidence with no more than one short quote (15 words or less) for the week.  
5. Include a minimum of two different scholarly sources per week. Cite all references and provide references for all citations. 

3. Engagement in Meaningful Dialogue: Engage peers and faculty by asking questions and offering new insights, applications, perspectives, information, or implications for practice.

1. Peer Response: Respond to at least one peer on a topic other than the initially assigned topic.
2. Faculty Response: Respond to at least one faculty post.  
3. Communicate using respectful, collegial language and terminology appropriate to advanced nursing practice.  

4. Professionalism in Communication: Communicate with minimal errors in English grammar, spelling, syntax, and punctuation.  

5. Reference Citation: Use current APA format to format citations and references free of errors.