Pharmacology Syllabus

NAPNES Pharmacology Syllabus

Course Information

Course Credits:  45 + Hours

Required Materials:  

• NAPNES Course Slide Presentations (included in this course)
• Pharmacology: A Patient-Centered Nursing Process Approach 8TH -SAUNDERS ELSEVIER, ISBN 978-1455751488

Optional Materials:

• Study Guide for Pharmacology: A Patient-Centered Nursing Process Approach 8TH -SAUNDERS ELSEVIER, ISBN 978-1455770533

Course Description:  This course will prepare the LP/VN to function with a greater knowledge of pharmacodynamics.  This course focuses on the nursing process in drug therapy.  Topics covered include drugs, drug interactions, medication administration, routes of administration, dosages, calculations, and patient teaching relating to medication.  Additionally, an intensive math review is included in this course.

Course Objectives: 

1. Utilize the nursing process effectively in drug therapy.
2. Enumerate major classifications of drugs and prototype drugs in each class.
3. State generic name, trade name, and average dose of prototype drugs.
4. Correlate knowledge of anatomy and physiological effects of drugs.
5. Relate physiological effects of drugs with their therapeutic usefulness.
6. Enunciate variables which affect drug action and cause unusual or adverse effects in drug therapy.
7. Correlate knowledge of drug action and use with possible interactions and contraindications.
8. Discuss the LP/VN’s responsibilities in the event of drug interaction or adverse effect.
9. Observe the actions of drugs and record and report these observations.
10. Teach patients pertinent facts and safe self-medication procedures as necessary.
11. List sources of information used to keep drug knowledge current.

Grading Policy

Format of the Course:  The course is broken down into 8 Units with 16 modules covering related material.  There are 2-3 chapters in each module.

1. Each Module contains a quiz worth 40% of your grade overall.
2. There are four quarter exams which cover multiple modules worth 30% of your grade overall.
3. There is one cumulative final exam which covers all material in the course worth 30% of your overall grade.
4. There are several focus points outlines throughout the course which are ungraded.  However, we strongly urge you to use these to take notes and study from as this is the material you will see on your exam.

Course Evaluation & Grading:  This course is designed to prepare you for the NAPNES Pharmacology exam.  After each assessment within the course, you will be given feedback regarding your progress.  Use the following as your guide to gauge your readiness to take the actual certification exam.

Attendance Policy:  This course is self-paced; however, we recommend completing it within 16 weeks or less.  There is no specific time requirement for how many times you log in or how much time you spend in the course.  However, the more time you spend in the course working through the materials and studying, the better you will do on the actual exam with NAPNES.  We strongly recommend logging in at least 3 days per week.  Take full advantage of this course!

Please be sure to take the NAPNES Pharmacology exam within a month of completing this course while the material is fresh in your mind!

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