Class Syllabus

Porterville College:Pharmacology for the Developmentally Disabled– PSYT P020D

Spring 2014

CRN: 30338

Units: 1.5

Instructor: Elizabeth Keele, RN, B.S.N.

Office: 2004 HC

Office phone: 559-791-2493

Home Phone: 559-793-1664

Cell Phone:559-310-4974

e-mail:

Hours/ Days:

Thursday & Friday: 8:30 AM – 2:20PM (HC – 2061)

March 28 –April 11, 2014

Final Exam: April 17, 2014 (8:30 – 10:00 AM)

Course Description:

This module involves the study of medications commonly prescribed for developmentally disabled and mentally ill clients. The focus is on the study of pharmacokinetics, medications and their classifications and addresses; name recognition; mechanisms of action; indications and dosages; adverse reactions; drug interactions and nursing interventions.

Concepts and practices pertinent to the Psychiatric Technician’s role and responsibilities in Medication Administration will also be addressed.

Grading:

93 – 100% = A

84 – 92% = B

75 – 83% = C

< 75% = F

Criteria:

Quizzes (4 x 30 points) 120*points

Participation (iClicker) (5 X 5 points) 25 points

Homework assignments 50 points

Pop Quiz ?* points

Final Exam:100 points__

Total:245*points

* Point values are approximates

Office Hours:

Thursday & Friday 11:45 – 12:45 PM & 2:20 – 3:00 PM

Wednesday 12:30 PM – 2:30 PM

By appointment 2004 HC Phone: 559-791-2493

You may e-mail me at (if I do not reply within 24 hours, please call me)

I am also available by phone at 559-793-1664 -Please do not call after 10:00 PM or on Sundays

Web Site:

or go to go to and go to the instructors web sites and click on Elizabeth Keele. You may obtain power point presentation, handouts and class syllabus on-line.

Textbook / Supplies:

  • Psychiatric Nursing 6th edition
  • Davis’s Drug Guide 13th edition
  • Taber’s Encyclopedia Medical Dictionary 21st edition
  • iClicker
  • Scan-tron form #882-ES (approximately 8)

Quizzes & Tests:

A quiz, test or work-sheet will be given on a daily bases. Please bring a scan-tron form #882-ES to all quizzes and tests. Tests and quizzes are timed at 1 minute for each question. Quizzes and tests are based on reading and lecture notes. The opportunity to make up onemissed exam will only be allowed if the student informs the instructor prior to the scheduled exam. Pop quizzes may not be made up. Some quizzes will be administered using the iClicker, you must bring it to class daily. If you arrive late to class during a test or failure to use a scan tron will result in a 10% drop in the test score.

Quizzes are based predominantly on the subject matter that was taught in the most resent previous lecture, however they may include information from earlier lectures. The Final Exam is cumulative from Day One.

Students will notbe allowed to retake any exam or quiz on which an unsatisfactory grade was earned.

Students may make arrangement with the instructor to review an individual exam up to two (2) weeks after the exam is returned. The final exam will not be reviewed in class.

All cell phones, pagers, and/or electronic device must be turned OFF during exams/quizzes unless prior arrangements are made with the instructor. Electronic devices other than a calculator may not be used for in-class calculations work (ie. Cell phones, PDA’s, etc). Looking at a cell phone and pulling a cell phone out constitutes cheating and at which point your test and scan tron will be removed from you

Participation:

Participation points will be given in this class based on your use of the iClicker during class discussions. Participation points are awarded as an “all or nothing”; five points per class session. You may miss one iClicker participation session (during one class day) and still get full credit for the day, but if you miss more than one (a minimum of 90%), you will receive no participation points for the day.

If you are caught cheating using the iClicker – you will be penalized all participation points for the whole course (25 Points). Cheating includes, but is not limited to “clicking” in for someone else when they are not present.

General:

Students are expected to be on time and attend each scheduled class and assume responsibility for assigned activities, be active in the learning process and meet all established level objectives. Students are expected to call the instructor is they are unable to attend. If you are unable to attend class, you must notify the instructor prior to class. Only excused absences will be given an opportunity to make up quizzes/tests. Homework will not be accepted late unless excused by the instructor. Cell phones and pagers must be turned off or placed in silent mode. Children are not allowed in classroom.

Reasonable Accommodation:

If you have a disability that may require assistance or accommodation, or you have questions related to any accommodation for testing, note takers, readings, etc., please speak with the instructor as soon as possible. Students may also contact the Disability Resource Center (559) 791-2215 with questions about such services.

Instructor’s Intellectual Rights:

Individual instructors retain intellectual property rights to lectures and class presentations and related material; notes or other class materials may not be exchanged or distributed for commercial purposes, for compensation or for any other purpose other than study by the individual student enrolled in the class. Unauthorized use of class notes or recordings is subject to the federal Copyright Act, California Civil Code, and Program policy and may subject an individual to failure of the course and/or legal proceedings brought by the instructor, as well as the Nursing Department. Examples of violation of this policy include, but not limited to, audio recording, and any electronic posting such as YouTube, blogging, podcasting, etc. Students may not tape record during any test preview or review

Honesty:

I require honesty on tests and assignments. Following Porterville College policy, if a student cheats on a test or assignment, or plagiarizes, I will give an “F” grade on that assignment and I will report the incident to the Dean. The student will have to meet with the Dean of Students to determine whether further disciplinary action is necessary.

Student Learning Objectives:

By the completion of this course the student should be able to:

  1. Explain and demonstrate behaviors consistent with those of a successful student learner.
  2. Describe and explain normal Nervous System functioning and abnormal functioning which can lead to mental health disorders.
  3. Describe and explain how medications are used to restore normal Nervous System functioning in treatment of mental health and developmental disorders.
  4. Describe and differentiate between the various medications treatments.
  5. Describe and explain necessary nursing responsibilities for patients receiving medications under the Psychiatric Technician’s care.

Course Objectives: The Board of Vocational Nurses and Psychiatric Technicians state approved course content is as follows:

Upon completion of this course, the student should be able to:

  1. Identify limitations/deficits commonly seen in D.D. clients that prevent them from asking questions or reporting adverse effects regarding medications they receive.
  2. Describe the dynamic process between the giver and the receiver of medications, which promotes positive medication compliance.
  3. Describe the importance of patient teaching with regard to prescribed medication regimen.
  4. Describe the electrochemical processes of the central nervous system, which allow CNS drugs to cause their desired effects.
  5. Differentiate between the following neurotransmitters:
  6. Acetylcholine
  7. Norepinephrine
  8. Dopamine
  9. Serotonin
  10. Gamma-aminobutyric acid
  11. Glycine
  12. Identify psychiatric disorders that appear to be related to the body’s inability to regulate the availability of neurotransmitters.
  13. Describe the ‘principle of opposition’ between the operation of the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches of the autonomic nervous system.
  14. Differentiate between an agonistic drug and an antagonistic drug.
  15. Differentiate between afferent and efferent nerves.
  16. Describe the role played by neurotransmitters in nerve impulse transmission within the synapse.
  17. Describe the role played by monoamine oxidase in nerve impulse transmission within the synapse.
  18. Explain how chemicals and electrical impulses interact to make up the electrochemical properties of the nervous system.
  19. Describe the variable responses seen depending on the fit of drugs to receptor sites.
  20. Identify medications commonly prescribed for D.D. clients by both generic and trade names.
  21. Describe the following mechanisms of drug action:
  22. Altering existing cellular functions
  23. Altering cellular environment
  24. Differentiate between commonly used drugs according to:
  25. Name
  26. Classification
  27. Mechanism of action
  28. Indications for use
  29. Contraindications
  30. Adverse drug effects
  31. Drug interactions
  32. Drug incompatibilities
  33. Describe the following indications for use of drugs:
  34. Primary
  35. Adjunctive
  36. Non-labeled use
  37. Investigative use
  38. Explain how absorption, distribution, biotransformation and excretion effect:
  39. The concentration of drug at body sites
  40. The concentration of drug metabolites at body sites
  41. The time for drug concentration to develop or change
  42. Describe how the rate of absorption of a drug is affected by:
  43. Route of administration
  44. Oral
  45. Sublingual
  46. Parenteral
  47. Subcutaneous
  48. Intramuscular
  49. Intravenous
  50. Interfering factors
  51. Stomach contents and acids
  52. Tissue problems at site of injection, topical, inhalant
  53. Explain how distribution of a drug is effected by the blood-brain barrier.
  54. Describe how biotransformation facilitates elimination of drug metabolites.
  55. List the four body processes through which drugs or their metabolites are eliminated.
  56. Explain how the following factors which influence individual pharmacological response:
  57. Age
  58. Gender
  59. Body weight
  60. Basal metabolic rate
  61. Disease states
  62. Genetic factors
  63. Time/route of administration
  64. Tolerance
  65. Nutrition
  66. Smoking
  67. Calculate accurate medication dosages using dimensional analysis.
  68. State the general uses, side-effects, contradictions, precautions, interactions, and nursing considerations for representative drugs from the given classifications:
  69. Sedative/hypnotics
  70. Antiparkinsonian agents
  71. Antianxiety agents
  72. Antidepressants
  73. Antipsychotics
  74. Antimanics
  75. CNS stimulants
  76. Anticonvulsants
  77. Cardiac agents
  78. Hypothyroid agents
  79. Antibiotics
  80. Non-narcotic analgesics
  81. Skeletal muscle relaxant
  82. Describe the relationship between the balance of acetylcholine and dopamine in the brain and its connection to the symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease.
  83. Differentiate between the various extrapyramidal side effects.
  84. Explain why physicians must use extreme caution when prescribing antidepressant drugs to outpatients who exhibit suicidal tendencies.
  85. Delineate the safety precautions that should be instituted for patients suffering from orthostatic hypotension.
  86. State the reason clients receiving MAO inhibiting agents must comply with a diet restrictive of tyramine-rich foods.
  87. Describe the etiology, precautions, symptoms and treatment for Neuroleptic Maligant Syndrome.
  88. Discuss the potential problem of agranulocytosis in clients receiving antipsychotic agents.
  89. Describe assessment approaches used when determining the presence of extrapyramidal side effects in clients receiving antipsychotic agents.
  90. Describe the importance of frequent drug serum level studies in clients receiving lithium preparations.
  91. Describe the dangers involved when clients abruptly withdraw from anticonvulsants drugs.
  92. Explain the necessity of assessing a client’s apical pulse prior to administering digitalis preparations and thyroid preparations.

Register your iClicker: Do it before the 2nd day of class!

To register your iClicker:

Go to and follow the instructions. OR

Read and follow the instructions printed on the back of your iClicker.

Use the same first and last name you used to register for classes at PC.

Use your PC Student ID Number as your “Student ID.” Be sure to use the whole number including the @ and all zeros. For example: @00654321. Do not abbreviate. Be sure to use all numbers (do not use the letter O for zero).

The “Remote ID” is a code number printed on the back of YOUR PERSONAL iClicker.

Course Outline, Schedule and Assignments:

Date / Lecture Topics / Tests / Quizzes/ Assignments
Day 1
March 28 / Introduction
Course objective #1 - 13
Day 2
April 3 / Course objectives # 14 - 24 / Quiz #1
Homework #1 Due by 8:30 AM
Day 3
April 4 / Course objectives #25 A-D; 26, 28-30 / Quiz #2
Day 4
April 10 / Course objective #25 E-H; 27, 31-35 / Quiz #3
Homework #2 Dueby 8:30 AM
Day 5
April 11 / Course objective #25 I – M; 36 / Quiz #4
Final Exam
April 17 / Homework #3 Dueby 8:30 AM
Final Exam
8:30 AM – 10:00 AM

Elizabeth Keele: Class Syllabus Pharm Spring 201410/26/20181