NRS 231 - Clinical Pharmacology II

3 Credit(s)

Prerequisite(s): NRS 230

Course Description: This sequel to NRS 230 continues to provide the theoretical background that enables students to provide safe and effective nursing care related to drugs and natural products to persons throughout the lifespan. Students will learn to make selected clinical decisions in the context of nursing regarding using current, reliable sources of information, monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of drug therapy, teaching persons from diverse populations regarding safe and effective use of drugs and natural products, intervening to increase therapeutic benefits and reduce potential negative effects, and communicating appropriately with other health professionals regarding drug therapy. The course addresses additional classes of drugs and related natural products not contained in Clinical Pharmacology I including immune related drugs, herbals, gastrointestinal drugs, antivirals, antidysrhythmics and others.

Course Level: Career/Tech Preparatory

Course Learning Outcomes:

CLO#1: Use current, reliable sources of information to access pertinent information about drugs and natural products, focusing on
• identification of appropriate reliable sources of information in specific nursing situations
• rapid and accurate retrieval of pertinent information from a current drug guide, and
• accurate retrieval of information from a comprehensive drug information source.
CLO#2: Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of drug therapy, focusing on
• selection and interpretation of basic focused nursing assessments to detect therapeutic effects
• side effects and adverse reactions, and drug-drug, drug-food, and drug-natural product interactions for specific classes of drugs
• surveillance for vulnerability to negative effects of specific classes of drugs based on age, developmental physiology, concurrent pathophysiology, psychopathology or other factors. (ILO: Critical Thinking)
CLO#3: Teach patients, family members, and others from diverse populations across the lifespan regarding safe and effective use of drugs and natural products, focusing on:
• self-management of specific classes of over-the-counter and prescription drugs that are used episodically
• self-management of specific classes of drugs that are taken for chronic conditions
• how the action of specific classes of drugs relates to developmental, maturational, aging, neurochemical, and pathophysiological processes, or normal physiology,
• which side/adverse effects of specific classes of drugs and natural products to self-manage and which ones to report to health professionals, and
• how to avoid or recognize drug-drug, drug-food, and drug-natural product interactions with specific classes of drugs.
CLO#4: Identify appropriate nursing interventions to increase therapeutic benefits and reduce potential negative effects of drug therapy, focusing on
• identification of basic non-pharmacological interventions that potentially enhance the effectiveness of specific classes of drugs
• assessment of barriers to adherence to drug therapy with specific classes of drugs. (ILO: Critical Thinking )
CLO#5: Communicate appropriately with other health professionals regarding drug therapy, focusing on
• using appropriate technical language related to pharmacology
• explaining drug mechanisms of action and their relationship to normal physiology and
• reporting pertinent information about an individual’s response to specific classes of drugs or natural products.