This guide is for NURS 751 Week 2 Symptom Analysis Evaluation 1, start to submission. An analysis of an assigned case focused on assessment, diagnosis and treatment plan for a chronic mental health symptom, with at least 5 references.
NURS 751 is Neurobiology and Differential Diagnosis of Mental Disorders, 3 credit hours, in Liberty University's DNP. Canvas and the course guide file print the code as NURS751; it is the same course.
| Course | NURS 751 Neurobiology and Differential Diagnosis of Mental Disorders |
|---|---|
| Module/Week | 2 |
| Points | 100 points |
| Length | Not set in the guide; graded with the Symptom Analysis Grading Rubric |
| Sources | At least 5 references in APA, which may include the course textbook |
| Faith integration | Not required by the guide |
| Format | Current APA |
What NURS 751 Week 2 Symptom Analysis Evaluation 1 asks for
You write two symptom analysis evaluations based on assigned case studies focusing on the assessment, diagnosis and treatment plan of a chronic mental health symptom. At least five references are required in APA, which may include the course textbook. Evaluation 1 is due in Module/Week 2, when the reading covers DSM-5 pages 123 to 256 (the bipolar, depressive, anxiety and obsessive-compulsive chapters) and Yearwood's chapters including deliberate self-harm. Worth 100 points.
Where it fits in NURS 751
In the published schedule, Symptom Analysis Evaluation 1 is one of 7 graded written assignments in NURS 751. It follows Week 1 Neuro Workshop Paper and comes before Week 3 WebEx Class Presentation 1.
How NURS 751 Week 2 Symptom Analysis Evaluation 1 is graded
Liberty grades Symptom Analysis Evaluation 1 with the rubric attached to the assignment in Canvas, worth 100 points in the published guide. That is about 10% of the course's 1,010 points. The rubric rows are the real instructions. Draft against them, and you will rarely be surprised by the grade.
Course grades in NURS 751 use Liberty's point scale: an A is 940 to 1010 points of the course total. Missing the length or source minimum usually costs points on several rows at once, which is why the checklist below starts with them.
Timing in the published guide: Each course module/week begins on Monday morning at 12:00 a.m. (ET) and ends on Sunday night at 11:59 p.m. (ET). The final module/week ends at 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Friday. Check the due dates in your Canvas section, which govern.
The NURS 751 Week 2 method, step by step
Read the case for facts, not impressions
Read the case in Symptom Analysis Evaluation 1 and list the facts that matter: who is involved, what happened, what constraints exist. Separate facts from assumptions before analyzing anything.
Name the central problem
Decide what the core problem is and say it plainly. The rest of the analysis should be organized around it.
Apply the course framework
Use the model or concepts from Neurobiology and Differential Diagnosis of Mental Disorders to analyze the case. Name the framework, then work through it with the case facts, step by step.
Weigh the options
Compare alternatives before recommending one. Each option needs its advantage and its risk stated in the terms of the case.
Recommend and justify
Make a clear recommendation supported by sources (At least 5 references in APA, which may include the course textbook), with the first steps of implementation.
Answer every question asked
Check the case questions one last time. Each one needs a direct answer, clearly labeled, within Not set in the guide; graded with the Symptom Analysis Grading Rubric.
A structure for NURS 751 Week 2 Symptom Analysis Evaluation 1
Word targets are planning numbers for about 1,300 words of body text, set by the length in the guide; the rubric decides where to spend more.
| Section | What it must do | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Case summary | The presenting symptom and key history. | ~160 words |
| Assessment | Interview findings, mental status, screening tools and tests. | ~310 words |
| Differential diagnosis | Three diagnoses considered, with DSM-5 criteria. | ~340 words |
| Working diagnosis | The diagnosis chosen and why. | ~160 words |
| Treatment plan | Pharmacologic, psychotherapeutic and safety measures. | ~340 words |
A topic angle that works
Build the differential as a table: each diagnosis, the DSM-5 criteria the case meets and does not meet, and the test that would separate them. Graders look for reasoning, not just the final label.
Model paragraph with notes
An original paragraph written by our desk to show the register that earns full rubric credit. It is study material: learn the moves, then write your own.
Three diagnoses fit the case's two years of low mood. Persistent depressive disorder is most likely: the DSM-5 requires depressed mood for most days over at least two years with two or more associated symptoms, and the patient reports poor appetite, low energy and hopelessness throughout.1 Major depressive disorder is less likely because she has not had a two-week period meeting five criteria. Hypothyroidism must be excluded with a TSH, because fatigue and low mood are common presenting features.2
- Applies DSM-5 criteria to the case facts.
- Rules out a competing diagnosis.
- Excludes a medical cause.
Mistakes that cost points on NURS 751 Week 2
- A single diagnosis with no differential.
- Fewer than 5 references.
- A treatment plan without safety assessment.
Checklist before you submit
- Length: Not set in the guide; graded with the Symptom Analysis Grading Rubric
- Sources: At least 5 references in APA, which may include the course textbook
- Every case question answered under its own heading
- A clear recommendation with its justification
- Each rubric row read against the section that answers it
Questions students ask
Can the textbook count toward the NURS 751 symptom analysis references?
Yes. At least five references are required, and they may include the course textbook.
How many points is NURS 751 Week 2 Symptom Analysis Evaluation 1 worth?
100 points in Liberty's published course guide for NURS 751, out of a course total of 1,010 points (about 10% of the grade). The rubric attached to the assignment in Canvas shows how those points are divided.
Is NURS 751 Week 2 the same in every section of NURS 751?
This guide follows Liberty's published course guide for NURS 751. Liberty notes that course content can change from term to term, so if your Canvas section shows different instructions, a different week or different points, follow Canvas and your instructor.
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