NURS 360 Pharmacology

Current course / Proposed course
Credits: 1 Credit / Credits: 1-2 credits
(1SH non-nursing majors/2SH nursing majors)
Rationale: Program and Student assessment data from the past 5 years identified that one credit was insufficient foundation for nursing majors. HERS majors only require 1 credit of pharmacology.
Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or consent of the instructor / Prerequisite: Generic Option; HERS major; elective for RN-to-BS Option; or consent of instructor.
Rationale: Nursing students in the major will take this course along with other foundational nursing content to facilitate integration of this content. Other prerequisites are unchanged.
Catalog description: This course is designed to provide the student with the pharmacologic basis for understanding drug therapies. / Catalog description: Introduces the fundamental principles of pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, pharmacotherapy, adverse drug reactions, major drug classes and related implications for individuals receiving drugs. Nursing students will incorporate various systems of measurement, conversion between systems, and calculation of drug dosages and rates. The 1 SH option is only available for non-nursing majors.
Rationale: Expanded content to prepare students to practice in healthcare environments where high levels of pharmacology expertise are needed for safe practice.
Course outline:
  1. Drug Action: Pharmaceutic, pharmacokinentic, pharmacodynamic phases
  2. Principles of Drug Administration
  3. Contemporary Issues in Pharmacology
  4. Drug approval process
  5. Transcultural and Genetic considerations
  6. Drug interaction and Over-the-counter drugs
  7. Drugs of abuse
  8. Herbal therapy and implications
  9. Pediatric & Geriatric pharmacology
  10. Nutrition & Electrolytes
  11. Autonomic Nervous System Agents
  12. Adrenergics and Adrenergic blockers
  13. Cholinergic and anticholinergics
  14. Neurologic and Neuromuscular Agents
  15. CNS stimulants
  16. CNS depressants
  17. Drugs for pain management
  18. Anticonvulsants
  19. Drugs for neurologic disorders (Parkinsonism, Alzheimer’s disease)
  20. Drugs for Neuromuscular disorders (Myasthenia gravis, MS, spasm)
  21. Psychiatric Agents
  22. Antiinflammatory and antiinfective agents
  23. Immunologic Agents
  24. Cancer Agents
  25. Respiratory Agents
  26. Cardiovascular Agents
  27. Gastrointestinal Agents
  28. Endocrine Agents
/ Course outline: Nursing section ONLY
Unit 1: Overview General concepts
  1. Drug Action: pharmaceutic, pharmacokinetic, and pharmacodynamic phases
  2. Nursing Process and patient teaching
  3. Principles of drug administration
  4. Five plus rights of drug administration
  5. 2007 National patient safety goals
  6. Disposal of medication
  7. Additional safety risks for safe administration
  8. Special considerations (factors that modify drug response)
  9. Guidelines for administration
  10. Forms and routes
  11. Nursing implications for administration of parenteral meds
  12. Developmental needs of pediatric patients
  13. Technologic advances
Unit 2: Medication and calculations
  1. Systems of measurement with conversion (metric, apothecary, household, conversion)
  2. Methods of calculation
  3. Interpreting oral and injectable drug labels
  4. Basic formula
  5. Ratio and proportion
  6. Fractional equation
  7. Dimensional analysis
  8. Body weight, BSA
  9. Calculations of oral dosages
  10. Capsules, tablets, liquids
  11. Interpreting labels
  12. Drug differentiation
  13. Calculation, body weight, BSA,
  14. Administration via NG tube
  15. Calculations of injectable dosages
  16. Injectable preparations
  17. Vials, ampoules, syringes
  18. Interpreting injectable labels
  19. Intradermal and subcutaneous injections
  20. Insulin injections
  21. Intramuscular injections
  22. Calculations of intravenous fluids
  23. Continuous, intermittent, secondary sets without IV pumps
  24. Intermittent infusion adapters/devises
  25. Direct IV injections
  26. Electronic intravenous regulators
  27. Patient controlled analgesia
  28. Calculating flow rates for IV drugs
  29. Pediatric drug calculations
  30. Oral, IM
  31. Per body weight, per body surface area,
  32. Calculations and injectables
Unit 3: contemporary issue in pharmacology
  1. The drug approval process
  2. Transcultural and genetic considerations
  3. Drug interactions and over the counter drugs
  4. Drugs of abuse
  5. Herbal therapy with nursing implications
  6. Pediatric pharmacology
  7. Geriatric pharmacology
  8. Medication administration in community setting
  9. Role of the nurse in drug research
Unit 4: Nutrition and electrolytes
  1. Vitamin and mineral replacement
  2. Fluid and electrolyte replacement
  3. Nutritional support
Unit 5: Autonomic Nervous system agents
  1. Adrenergic and adrenergic blockers
  2. Cholinergic and anticholinergics
Unit 6: Neurologic and neuromuscular agents
  1. Central nervous system stimulants
  2. Central nervous system depressants
  3. Anticonvulsants
  4. Drugs for neurologic disorders: parkinsonism and Alzheimer’s disease
  5. Drugs for neuromuscular disorders :myasthemia gravis, MS, muscle spasms
Unit 7 Pain and inflammation management agents
  1. Anti-inflammatory drugs
  2. Nonopioid and opioid analgesiscs
Unit 8 Psychiatric Agents
  1. Antipsychotics and Anxiolytics
  2. Antidepressants and mood stabilizers
Unit 9: antibacterial agents
  1. Penicillins and cephalosporins
  2. Macrolides, tetracyclines, aminoglycosides, fluroquinolones
  3. sufonamides
Unit 10: anti-infective agents
  1. antituberculars, antifungals, peptides, metronidazole
  2. antivirals, antimalarials, anthelmintics
Unite 11: immunologic agents
  1. HIV and AIDS related drugs
  2. Vaccines
Unit 12: antineoplastic agents
  1. anticancer drugs
  2. targeted therapies to treat cancer
  3. biologic response modifiers
Unit 13: Respiratory agents
  1. drugs for upper respiratory disorders
  2. drugs for lower respiratory disorders
Unit 14: Cardiovascular agents
  1. cardiac glycosides, antianginals, antidysrhythmics
  2. diuretics
  3. antihypertensives
  4. anticoagulants, antiplatelets, thrombolytics
  5. antilipidemics, peripheral vasodilators
Unit 15: Gastrointestinal agents
  1. drugs for gastrointestinal tract
  2. antiulcer drugs
Unit 16: Eye, ear, and skin agents
  1. drugs for disorders of eye and ear
  2. drugs for dermatologic disorders
Unit 17: endocrine agents
  1. endocrine durgs; pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal disorders
  2. antidiabetics
Unit 18: emergency agents
  1. adult emergency drugs
Course outline: Non-nursing section
Unit 1: Overview General concepts
1. Drug Action: pharmacoceutic,
pharmacokinetic, and
pharmacodynamic phases
2. Teaching
3. Principles of drug administration
  1. Five plus rights of drug administration
  2. 2007 National patient safety goals
  3. Disposal of medication
  4. Special considerations (factors that modify drug response)
  5. Guidelines for administration
  6. Forms and routes
Unit 2: contemporary issue in pharmacology
1. The drug approval process
2. Transcultural and genetic
considerations
3. Drug interactions and over the
counter drugs
4. Drugs of abuse
5. Herbal therapy
6. Pediatric pharmacology
7. Geriatric pharmacology
Unit 3: Nutrition and electrolytes
1. Vitamin and mineral replacement
2. Fluid and electrolyte replacement
3. Nutritional support
Unit 4: Autonomic Nervous system agents
1. Adrenergic and adrenergic
blockers
2. Cholinergic and anticholinergics
Unit 5: Neurologic and neuromuscular agents
1. Central nervous system
stimulants
2. Central nervous system depressants
3. Anticonvulsants
4. Drugs for neurologic disorders:
parkinsonism and Alzheimer’s
disease
5. Drugs for neuromuscular
disorders: myasthemia gravis,
MS, muscle spasms
Unit 6 Pain and inflammation management agents
1. Anti-inflammatory drugs
2. Nonopioid and opioid analgesiscs
Unit 7 Psychiatric Agents
1. Antipsychotics and Anxiolytics
2. Antidepressants and mood
stabilizers
Unit 8: antibacterial agents
1. Penicillins and cephalosporins
2. Macrolides, tetracyclines,
aminoglycosides, fluroquinolones
3. sufonamides
Unit 9: anti-infective agents
1. antituberculars, antifungals,
peptides, metronidazole
2. antivirals, antimalarials,
anthelmintics
Unite 10: immunologic agents
1. HIV and AIDS related drugs
2. Vaccines
Unit 11: antineoplastic agents
1. anticancer drugs
2. targeted therapies to treat cancer
3. biologic response modifiers
Unit 12: Respiratory agents
1. drugs for upper respiratory
disorders
2. drugs for lower respiratory
disorders
Unit 13: Cardiovascular agents
1. cardiac glycosides, antianginals,
antidysrhythmics
2. diuretics
3. antihypertensives
4. anticoagulants, antiplatelets,
thrombolytics
5. antilipidemics, peripheral
vasodilators
Unit 14: Gastrointestinal agents
1. drugs for gastrointestinal tract
2. antiulcer drugs
Unit 15: skin agents
1. drugs for dermatologic disorders
Unit 16: endocrine agents
1. endocrine drugs; pituitary,
thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal
disorders
2.antidiabetics
Rationale:
Course Requirements:
1. Attend class 1 hour per week.
2. Bring computer to class.
3. Students are expected to read from the required text(s) and other assigned materials.
4. Participate in classroom discussions.
5. Complete exams/quizzes with a grade of “C” or better.
6. Complete assignments/quizzes/examinations as indicated.
7. Failure to take quizzes/exams at scheduled times will result in a score of zero.
8. Electronic devices (cell phones, PDA’s, etc.) will not be allowed in the classroom on examination or quiz days unless otherwise specified by your instructor. Students must receive approval of faculty prior to taping of class sessions.
9. Cell phones should be turned off during class time.
10.Students are expected to abide by all University academic policies and procedures. That includes academic integrity policies. Failure to do so may result in failure of the course and/or dismissal from an academic program.
Evaluation of Learning: Quizzes/Examinations / Course Requirements:
Course expectations/requirements
  1. Attend class and notify the professor of absences
  2. Participate in class discussions and activities
  3. Complete assignments on time
Evaluation of Learning: Quizzes/Examinations
Rationale: Student Accountability for learning.