As an advanced practice nurse, it is important to diagnose, treat, and evaluate patients who have chronic disease. A nurse must understand how pathology, treatment, regimens, and psycho-social issues affect patients and the care they receive. Disease management is more than just monitoring a medication or treatment; it is evaluating the disease process from the micro to macro level. As a nurse with an advanced degree, you will be expected to assess patients and individual and population responses to chronic illness.

For this assessment, you will investigate pathopharmacological issues related to a specific disease process. You may choose to investigate traumatic brain injury, depression, obesity, asthma, or heart failure. As part of this assessment, you will analyze the various impacts the disease process has on the patients, their families, and populations at a local, national, and international level.