NURS 610 - Clinical Pharmacology for Advanced Practice Nurses

This course is designed to prepare advanced practice nurses (APRN) to accurately describe, administer, and counsel patients regarding appropriate and safe medication regimens. In addition, the APRN will be prepared for medication prescriptive authority within their scope of practice. Therapeutic nursing interventions are fostered through exposure to prescriptive authority rules and regulations in advanced practice nursing. Critical thinking is applied as students explore various pharmacological aspects of disease management through case study analysis. Therapeutic agents are compared and contrasted for indications of efficacy, monitoring parameters, dosing principles, adverse effects and common drug interactions taking into consideration culture and diversity across the life span. Basic pharmacologic principles and the pharmacologic actions of the major drug classes will be discussed in relation to physiologic systems, with emphasis on the application of these agents. Herbs, supplements and other pharmacotherapeutic agents will be examined for use and integration into the patients’ holistic plan of care.

Credits: 3