Pharmacology - Introduction

Pharmacology - Introduction

In today's medical environment, the nurse is a pivotal member of the healthcare team with increasing responsibility, this includes exercising judgement in the management of the patient's drug therapy.

To do this effectively requires an understanding of drug action and the ability to detect and evaluate both beneficial and adverse responses to drugs. The greater your knowledge of how drugs act, and how they are used in clinical practice, the more you will be able to anticipate drug responses in your patients.

This will make you more effective in counselling your patients on their drug therapy, and in optimising their drug administration for maximum benefit. In this course you will explore the importance of pharmacology to nursing practice. The basic language of pharmacology is introduced and the terms "pharmacodynamics" and "pharmacokinetics" will be explored.

Modules

1: The Application of Pharmacology to Nursing

• The importance of pharmacology
• Legislation and professional guidelines
• The language of pharmacology
• Desirable properties of drugs used to treat human illness
• The formulation of drugs as medicines
• Pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics

2: The Administration, Absorption, Distribution and Elimination of Drugs

• Routes for administering drugs
• Key physiological factors that influence drug response
• The effect of drug interactions on patient response

3: Pharmacokinetics and Drug Action

• Pharmacokinetics
• Factors influencing drug bioavailability
• Drug distribution
• The principles of drug metabolism
• The elimination of drugs and their metabolites
• Measuring the distribution of drugs in the body

4: How Drugs Act

• Mechanisms for drug action
• Chemical messengers as a method of cell communication
• Revision of chemical transmission in the autonomic nervous system
• Classifying receptors

Entry Requirements

There is no experience or previous qualifications required for enrolment on this course. It is available to all students, of all academic backgrounds.

All course fees, inclusive of all payment plans including our Premium Credit Limited option, must be settled before certification can be ordered.

*You will have access to the course for 24 months.

Assessment Method

After each lesson there will be a question paper, which needs to be completed and submitted to your personal tutor for marking. This method of continual assessment ensures that your personal tutor can consistently monitor your progress and provide you with assistance throughout the duration of the course.

On successful completion of your course you will receive the learndirect Certificate of Completion of Training in Pharmacology - Introduction.

Your course certificate will also state the number of CPD points/hours the course is eligible for.

View a sample of the certificate (opens in new window)

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