Nursing Pharmacology I explores how medications work in the body and how they are used to treat disease. This course covers foundational principles of pharmacology as well as major drug categories, including anti-infective and antiviral agents, cardiovascular medications, and respiratory drugs.
A strong understanding of pharmacology is essential for safe and effective nursing practice. Nurses must know how medications act, their potential side effects, and how to monitor patients to ensure the best outcomes in clinical care.
Learning objectives
After the completion of this course, you will be able to:
- Explain the foundational principles of pharmacology, including drug classifications, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics.
- Identify major classes of anti-infective and antiviral medications and describe their mechanisms of action, therapeutic uses, and common side effects.
- Differentiate among cardiovascular medications, including antihypertensives, antiarrhythmics, diuretics, and drugs for heart failure.
- Describe the pharmacologic management of respiratory conditions, including asthma, COPD, and allergic responses.
- Apply the nursing process to safe medication administration and patient education.
- Recognize adverse drug reactions and interactions and outline appropriate nursing interventions.
- Interpret common clinical scenarios to select appropriate drug therapy options.
- Demonstrate knowledge of dosage calculations and safe administration practices.
- Integrate evidence-based guidelines into decision-making for medication therapy across the lifespan.
Course outline
- Pharmacology: Foundations
- Anti-Infective and Antiviral Drugs
- Cardiovascular Medications
- Respiratory Medications
