Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

• By the end of the course, the student will be able to:

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.

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, and concurrent pathophysiology, psychopathology or other factors.

3. Teach clients, 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.

4. Identify appropriate nursing interventions to increase therapeutic benefits and reduce potential negative effects of drug therapy, focusing on:

• identification of basic nonpharmacological nursing interventions that potentially enhance the effectiveness of specific classes of drugs and
• assessment of barriers to adherence to drug therapy with specific classes of drugs.

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.

Readings
Lecture
Case studies
Drug Reference Practicuum/Discussion
Group activities & presentations
Blackboard modules & quizzes

Clinical performance
Class presentation/projects
In-class quizzes
Quizes/Final exam

Introduces & applies the principles of pharmacology in making clinical nursing decisions with persons receiving drug therapy
• Introduces pharmacological concepts related to opioid and nonopiod analgesics, antibiotics,cardiovascular, respiratory, diabetes,renal,
chronic neurological and psychotropic drugs
• Utilizes current sources of drug information to make decisions about appropriateness and effectiveness of drug therapy and teach people
safe and appropriate use of these drugs
• Identifies appropriate interventions that increase the therapeutic benefit of these drug groups and communicate appropriately with other healthcare professionals regarding drug therapy with these agents
• Identifies and applies correct administration techniques when administering drugs by the oral,otic,optic,rectal,transdermal and inhaled routes to clinical clients 
• Identifies principles of parenteral drug administration and correctly administers pharmacological agents to clients by the intradermal,subcutaneous and intramuscular routes