NURS 163 - Pharmacology and the Nursing Process

Lecture - Lab - Credit Hours: 3-0-3
This course defines the relationship of the nursing process and drug therapy. Lifespan considerations related to pharmacology as well as legal, ethical, and cultural considerations will be discussed. The principles of pharmacotherapeutics along with the basics of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics will be presented. This course introduces information concerning sources, effects legalities, and the safe use of medication as therapeutic agents. Emphasis is placed on nursing responsibility, accountability, and pharmacokinetics, routes of medication administration, contraindications and side effects. Upon completion, students should be able to compute dosages and administer medication safely.

The online course offers the students the opportunity to complete their work with a flexible schedule. The course will be structured to assist the student in completing the course requirements in 16 weeks. Each week a new unit will be presented and remain open for the remaining weeks of the course so students have the ability to refer back to previously discussed content at their convenience. Weekly dud dates and deadlines however have been established for each graded assignment to foster completion of assignments in a timely fashion. The student will be required to compete required readings, PowerPoint’s, and websites as directed per unit overview.Prerequisite: Admission into the nursing program. Concurrent enrollment in NURS 140  and NURS 150  .