Introduces basic pharmacology, dosage calculation, and legal and ethical nursing responsibilities with medication administration. Offers insight into clinical reasoning by utilizing the nursing process for safe medication administration. Studies drug classifications such as anti-infective, antibiotics, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, immune modulators, vaccines, drugs affecting gastrointestinal motility, and parenteral agents. Also provides information about the action of medications on the pathophysiology of disease, clinical indication for use, common adverse effects, and general nursing implications for different medications, significant drug interactions, and learning needs patients have about their medications.
Goals, Topics, and Objectives
- Pharmacology Therapies and the Nursing Process.
- Describe the principles of pharmacology, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics for the stated drug classifications.
- Medication Dosage Calculation.
- Successfully calculate medication dosages with at least 90% accuracy.
- Legal and Ethics and Safe Medication Administration.
- Describe the nurse’s role in safe administration of medications.
- Recognize the nursing process, evidence-based practice and National Patient Safety Standards to safely administer the medications.
- Utilize the nursing process, evidence-based practice and National Patient Safety Standards to safely administer the medications.
- Clinical Reasoning.
- Identify how to effectively communicate any discrepancies in medication orders.
- State drug classifications and actions associated with pathophysiology of disease.
- State drug actions and interactions.
- Patient Learning Needs.
- Utilize either printed reference material or Internet resources to attain any missing information about the medications being discussed.
The core learning objectives are applied in the teaching of all course topics.
Assessment and Requirements
Assessments of academic achievement may include, but are not limited to medication dosage calculations, discussion forums, case studies, and multiple choice testing.
Outcomes
Credit for Prior College-Level Learning
HESI Pharmacology Exam with a score of 900 or higher. Maximum number of attempts: two