| Course | NU 631 Healthcare of Women across the Lifespan |
|---|---|
| Unit | Unit 1 |
| Paper type | Well-woman visit plan |
| Length | About 1,010 words, 6 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Herzing University |
| Program | MSN Family Nurse Practitioner |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for NU 631 Unit 1
Well-Woman Visit Plan for a 23-Year-Old Graduate Student Who Came in for Painful Periods
Student Name
Department of Nursing, Herzing University
NU 631: Healthcare of Women across the Lifespan
Instructor Name
January 26, 2026
Well-Woman Visit Plan for a 23-Year-Old Graduate Student Who Came in for Painful Periods
What She Came For
Ms. D., a composite 23-year-old graduate student in chemistry, booked the visit because of painful periods that make her miss one or two days of lab work each month. Her first priority, in her words, is "to not lose two days a month." That concern is addressed first and in full, and the preventive items follow. Well-woman care is meant to include both the patient's concerns and age-appropriate prevention (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists [ACOG], 2018).
History at the Depth This Stage Requires
Menstrual: menarche at 12, cycles every 28 to 30 days, bleeding for five days with two heavy days, cramping pain in the lower abdomen starting a few hours before bleeding and lasting two days, rated 7 of 10, partially relieved by ibuprofen 200 mg taken once the pain is severe. No pain with intercourse, no pain between periods, no bowel or bladder symptoms with periods, and no bleeding between periods. These negatives make primary dysmenorrhea more likely than endometriosis at this stage, although that possibility is kept in view.
Sexual history, asked without assuming a partner's sex: she has had one female partner for the past year and had two male partners in the past three years, the most recent eight months ago. She has not used condoms consistently. She has never been tested for sexually transmitted infections. Reproductive intention, asked directly, "Would you like to become pregnant in the next year?": no, not for at least three to four years. She is not currently using contraception because her current partner is female, and she says she would want protection if that changed.
Family and social: mother with hypothyroidism; no family history of breast, ovarian, or colorectal cancer or of blood clots. She drinks two to four drinks on weekends, does not smoke or vape, and uses no drugs. She lives with a roommate, feels safe at home, and describes her relationship as supportive. She reports stress from her program and sleeps about six hours on weeknights.
Her Concern: Painful Periods
Assessment: probable primary dysmenorrhea. Plan: take a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug at the first sign of bleeding or cramping, or the day before an expected period, rather than waiting until the pain is severe, for example ibuprofen 400 to 600 mg every six to eight hours with food for the first two to three days. Heat to the lower abdomen helps. If this does not reduce missed days within three cycles, a hormonal method that reduces or suppresses menstruation, such as a combined pill taken continuously or a levonorgestrel intrauterine device, would be offered; either would also provide contraception if her circumstances change. If pain persists despite both, evaluation for endometriosis would follow. She was asked to track pain and missed days on her phone.
Screening Due Now
Cervical cancer screening: cytology every three years from age 21 to 29 (grade A; US Preventive Services Task Force [USPSTF], 2018a). She has never been screened, so cytology is done today. Chlamydia and gonorrhea: screening is recommended for all sexually active women aged 24 and younger (grade B; USPSTF, 2021), so a urine test is sent today. HIV: screening for adolescents and adults aged 15 to 65 (grade A); she agrees to testing today. Syphilis and hepatitis C testing were also offered given her history of inconsistent condom use; she accepted. Depression: screened with the Patient Health Questionnaire 2, negative. Intimate partner violence: screening for women of reproductive age is recommended (grade B; USPSTF, 2018b); she was asked privately and screened negative. Unhealthy alcohol use: her weekend intake is at the upper limit of low-risk drinking for women, and this was discussed briefly.
Stress, Sleep, and Mental Health
Her screening for depression was negative, but she described a demanding program, six hours of sleep on weeknights, and missed lab days that add to her stress. These were treated as part of the visit rather than as small talk. She was asked what a realistic change would be and chose one: stopping lab work by 10 p.m. on weeknights to protect a seven-hour sleep window. She was given the campus counseling center's contact details and told that anxiety or low mood that begins to affect her work is a reason to return, not something to push through. Her dysmenorrhea plan also serves this goal, since fewer missed days removes one of the stressors she named.
Immunizations
HPV vaccine: she received one dose at 13 and did not complete the series. Catch-up vaccination is recommended for everyone through age 26 who is not adequately vaccinated (Meites et al., 2019), so the second dose is given today and the third is scheduled in about five months, since she started at 13 but is completing it past 15. Influenza vaccine given today. Tdap: last dose at 12; a Td or Tdap booster is due at 22, so Tdap is given today. COVID-19 vaccination offered per current recommendations. Hepatitis B: completed in childhood, confirmed from her school record.
Reproductive Intention and What Follows
Because she does not intend pregnancy for several years and could have male partners in the future, contraception options were discussed briefly, with the dysmenorrhea plan in mind, and she was told she could start a method at any visit without a separate appointment. She was also advised that daily folic acid, 0.4 to 0.8 mg, is recommended for anyone who could become pregnant, because neural tube closure occurs before many people know they are pregnant (USPSTF, 2023).
What No Longer Applies or Is Not Yet Due
Clinical breast examination and mammography: not indicated at her age with no family history. Lipid screening: not routinely indicated without risk factors. Diabetes screening: not indicated at her body mass index of 22. HPV co-testing: begins at 30. Bone density: not indicated. Items for the next well visit: repeat cytology in three years if normal, annual chlamydia and gonorrhea screening while 24 or younger and sexually active, and review of her dysmenorrhea tracking in three months.
References
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. (2018). ACOG committee opinion no. 755: Well-woman visit. Obstetrics & Gynecology, 132(4), e181-e186. https://doi.org/10.1097/AOG.0000000000002897
Meites, E., Szilagyi, P. G., Chesson, H. W., Unger, E. R., Romero, J. R., & Markowitz, L. E. (2019). Human papillomavirus vaccination for adults: Updated recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 68(32), 698-702. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6832a3
US Preventive Services Task Force. (2018a). Screening for cervical cancer: US Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement. JAMA, 320(7), 674-686. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2018.10897
US Preventive Services Task Force. (2018b). Screening for intimate partner violence, elder abuse, and abuse of vulnerable adults: US Preventive Services Task Force final recommendation statement. JAMA, 320(16), 1678-1687. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2018.14741
US Preventive Services Task Force. (2021). Screening for chlamydia and gonorrhea: US Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement. JAMA, 326(10), 949-956. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2021.14081
US Preventive Services Task Force. (2023). Folic acid supplementation to prevent neural tube defects: US Preventive Services Task Force reaffirmation recommendation statement. JAMA, 330(5), 454-459. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2023.12876
What the NU 631 Unit 1 instructions ask for
For Unit 1 you plan a well-woman visit for a patient at a specific life stage, usually beginning with the reason she came in. Expect to take a focused history, including menstrual, sexual, reproductive and family history, and to address her stated concern with an assessment and plan. Preventive services due at her age should be listed with source and grade, along with immunizations and what does not apply. Many sections ask about reproductive intention, since it changes counseling, contraception and supplementation. Mental health, safety and lifestyle are often part of the expected content. The plan should be individualized, not a checklist for all women of that age. Cite ACOG and Task Force recommendations by year. The patient should be invented, and the classroom states how long the plan may run.
How this NU 631 Unit 1 example is built
The plan starts with why she booked the visit and how the pain affects her work. The history section covers menarche, cycle length, bleeding days and pain pattern, then sexual and contraceptive history, which shapes what follows. Her concern is answered first: probable primary dysmenorrhea, with an anti-inflammatory started at the first sign of bleeding and a review if relief is poor. Screening due now gives cervical cytology every three years from 21 to 29 and testing for sexually transmitted infection by age, with grades. The mental health section notes a negative depression screen but explores sleep and stress. Immunizations address the HPV series she did not finish. Reproductive intention leads into contraception options, including methods that also treat painful periods. The final section names services not due and explains why.
Reading the NU 631 Unit 1 rubric
The Herzing rubric for a well-woman plan commonly scores history, response to the presenting concern, preventive services, immunizations, counseling and individualization, and evidence. History points depend on the reproductive and sexual detail needed for her age. The presenting concern earns credit when it is assessed and treated with a specific plan. Preventive service points require correct intervals and grades from current guidelines, and markers often check cervical screening rules closely. Immunization points go to catch-up needs identified accurately. Counseling is credited when reproductive intention shapes the advice. Individualization rewards explaining why a service is due or not for this patient. Evidence and writing points cover APA citations for ACOG and Task Force sources and a plan organized so another clinician could follow it.
Common NU 631 Unit 1 mistakes, and how to avoid them
Well-woman plans commonly lose points by turning into a generic checklist that ignores why the patient came in. Students also apply outdated cervical screening intervals or start screening before 21. Incomplete vaccine series, such as HPV, are often missed. Reproductive intention is rarely asked about, though it changes counseling on contraception and folic acid. Sexual history is sometimes skipped or written with assumptions about partners. Another gap is listing services that are not indicated at her age, such as mammography without risk factors. Mental health and safety screening are commonly mentioned in one line without follow-through. Finally, give the dysmenorrhea plan real detail, including dose and timing, because the presenting concern is often where a grader starts reading.
Get a NU 631 Unit 1 example written to your instructions
Send the Unit 1 instructions and the rubric from your NU 631 classroom, plus the patient case your plan is written for. We write a custom example built from her stage, history and stated agenda, with every screening item sourced, returned in 24 to 48 hours. The first custom sample is free.
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NU 631 Unit 1 questions, answered
Why does reproductive intention change so much?
Because it moves several decisions at once. Whether a patient may become pregnant in the next year affects which medications are appropriate, which immunizations are timed how, whether folate supplementation is discussed and how certain screening results would be managed. Asking directly, in a way that allows the answer to be uncertain, is more useful than inferring it from age or relationship status.
How do I avoid a generic checklist?
Start from this patient. Her age, history, family history, medications and circumstances determine what belongs in the visit, and a plan that opens with a standard list and applies it downward will contain items that do not apply and miss ones that do. Write what is due for her, say why, and mark what has changed since the last visit.
Should mental health and safety screening be routine?
Yes, and including them selectively is where these plans go wrong. Screening only patients who seem to need it depends on the clinician's impression, which performs poorly, and it signals to the patient that the question is unusual. Building them into every visit is both better practice and more defensible in the plan you submit.
Where can I find a free NU 631 Unit 1 sample paper?
This page has the whole NU 631 Unit 1 visit plan free, from her concern and history to the screening, vaccines, contraception discussion and services not yet due. If your patient is at a different life stage, request a custom plan; it is written at no charge and typically delivered in two days or less.
What should a well-woman visit include for a woman in her twenties?
Address her reason for coming, then take a menstrual, sexual and reproductive history. Cervical cytology every three years from 21, chlamydia and gonorrhea testing if sexually active under 25, catch-up HPV vaccine through 26, and a talk about reproductive plans are usually due.