ADVANCED CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY

NURS 5104

3 CREDIT HOURS

This course focuses on pharmacology and therapeutics used in the treatment of selected health conditions commonly encountered by the advanced practice nurse. Emphasis is placed on the decision making process utilized to safely and effectively prescribe and monitor pharmacotherapeutics appropriate to the client situation.

At the successful completion of this course the advanced practice nurse will be able to:

1. Analyze factors pertinent to making a drug selection for a client with a specific diagnosis;
2. Analyze client indicators of therapeutic, ineffective, or adverse responses to drug therapy.
3. Select the appropriate drugs for the treatment of clients with specific medical diagnoses.
4. Analyze information on client teaching for safety of prescribed drug therapy.
5. Utilize current drug research findings for decision making in drug therapy.
6. Analyze pharmacotherapeutics, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics to medical herb use. 

Admission to MSN-RODP program 

Pharmacotherapeutics, pharmacoeconomics, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, substance abuse, prescriptive authority, state regulations, authority and collaboration, autonomic nervous system drugs, central nervous system drugs, immune system drugs, cardiovascular system drugs, respiratory system drugs, hematologic drugs, renal/urinary drugs, GI system drugs, endocrine system drugs, psychotropic drugs, gynecological medications, drugs for infectious diseases, nutrition supplements, drugs for hepatic disorders, drugs for rheumatic diseases, and drugs for disorders of the eye, ear, and skin. 

Students will need to know how to use the word processor, Microsoft Word, and an Internet Browser (Microsoft Explorer) to access and complete course requirements. The instructor will not be responsible for teaching the student WebCT or word processing.

 Please visit the Virtual Bookstore to obtain textbook information for this course:  http://rodp.bkstr.com

A subscription to Prescriber’s Letter is available at http://www.prescribersletter.com/etsu. This monthly publication provides current drug information in a newsletter format with access to related articles.  

Students should obtain a single copy of the Monthly Prescribing Reference at https://www.wrisecuresites.com/prescribingreference/Forms/PRIMPRSubscriptionOrder.asp?pubtitle=Monthly Prescribing Reference&pubid=1 and look for the single copy rate ($16) 

Supplementary journal articles assigned by faculty.

The minimum requirements can be found at http://www.rodp.org/students/hardware_software.htm

The minimum requirements can be found at http://www.rodp.org/students/hardware_software.htm. You need to have both Microsoft Word and the Acrobat Reader.  Acrobat Reader is needed to access many of the files you will be accessing from the web.  It can be obtained free and can be downloaded from Free Acrobat Reader Download

Please see the separate page inside the course to find instructor contact information as well as a statement of virtual office hours and other communication information.

Policies:

Daily log-in is strongly recommended.  It is important to look for any announcements AND to monitor/participate in discussions.  Discussions will be ongoing and an important part of this course.

Central Standard Time in the  United States is the required time zone for all submissions.

All course work must be posted to the designated WebCT course section for credit. Assignments sent by any other means (e.g., e-mail attachment) will not count towards course credit.

Assignments must be posted by the due date and time identified.  Any work received after the assigned deadline date and time will be assessed a 1 point late penalty for each day or any portion of a day up to 48 hours. Assignments will not be accepted if more than 48 hours past the deadline and the student will receive a zero for that assignment.  The instructor must give approval for any extenuating circumstance. Failure to follow faculty notification requirements will result in an automatic zero for that assignment with no possibility to receive any points. Faculty reserves the right to assign alternate make-up assignments, tests, or examinations for those who provide prior notification and are approved by course faculty to submit late work due to extenuating circumstances.

The student is expected to participate in the weekly online discussion boards. Each week a topic will be introduced by the instructor that will be relevant to the week’s reading material.  Participation will be graded on thoughtfulness, demonstration of prior preparation, interaction with students/ instructor, and knowledge of the topic areas.

Homework assignments are included in each module.  These are not graded or collected but are required as part of the readings.

Case study analyses/essay questions will be used for quizzes and final exam.

In addition to the weekly discussions, homework assignments, and readings, there are four quizzes, two student presentations, and a final exam.  Detailed descriptions, grading criteria, due dates, and other expectations are located inside the course.

Evaluation

There are no online or proctored tests.  Due dates will be announced on the course calendar. 

Discussions:  Weekly discussion topics will be posted by the instructor and the student is expected to respond thoughtfully.  This forum will be an ongoing interaction between students and instructor.

Assignments: Weekly homework assignments on required readings (such as prescription writing, multiple choice questions and answers, and essay questions) are not graded but required and are intended to help student assess her or his own learning and emphasize certain concepts and topics. 

Quizzes: Quizzes (four in total) are case studies, dosage & calculation problems, and/or essay type questions and are worth 5 points each.  These are to be developed using html format and submitted using the quiz submisssion function. 

Dosage Calculation/Prescription Writing: The scientific method of calculation (dimensional analysis), commonly called the cancellation method, will be used for dosage calculation and prescription computation. This method avoids errors by requiring that rounding only be done once at the end of the computation.  Math rules, given with each problem, will be used for rounding.  A math tutorial and math tutorial solutions can be accessed at the Homepage of the course.  As early as possible, students should begin working the dosage calculation problems and prescription writing problems to identify any weaknesses. 

Case Study/Medication Presentations:  Each student will develop one Case Study Presentation and one Medication Presentation using the Student Homepage Tool (for questions and information on how to use this tool please contact RODP Customer Support web page at http://askrodp.custhelp.com/ or call the AskRODP Help Desk at 1-866-550-RODP (1-866-550-7637).  Detailed instructions are under “assignments” and due dates will be posted on the calender.  Medications for these assignments will be assigned to you by your instructor. 

Examinations:  One final exam (case study) will be available toward the end of the semester.  Students will have adequate time to complete and turn the exam in.  Again, there are no timed, on-line exams or quizzes!

Academic Integrity:  Evidence of academic misconduct will result in a grade of F for the course. You are responsible for completing your own assignments.  Sharing with other student(s) or accepting assistance from someone else constitutes academic misconduct. Honesty: Honesty is required in all course work. Any form of dishonesty will result in a zero grade for the specific project and could result in failure of this course.

Grading Procedure:  

Grading Scale:

Module  1       Principles of Pharmacotherapeutics. Special considerations needed for pediatric and geriatric populations. 

Elements included in prescription writing, including dosage calculations. 

Module 2        Indications, contraindications, precautions, and patient teaching for drugs for fluid/electrolyte and nutrition balance and disorders of the blood (anemias). 

Module 3        Indications, contraindications, precautions, and patient teaching for drugs for endocrine, metabolic, and renal disorders—adrenocortical dysfunction, thyroid disorders, and diabetes mellitus, and hyperlipidemia. Writing a complete prescription with dosage calculations.

Module 4        Indications, contraindications, precautions, and patient teaching for drugs for gastrointestinal disorders and hepatic disorders.  Writing a complete prescription with dosage calculations. 

Module 5        Indications, contraindications, precautions, and patient teaching for drugs for rheumatic disorders (rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, systemic lupus erythematosis, osteoporosis) and respiratory disorders (asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease).   Writing a complete prescription with dosage calculations.

Module 6        Indications, contraindications, precautions, and patient teaching for drugs for cardiovascular disorders--hypertension, heart failure, and cardiac arrhythmias, ischemic heart disease, and thromboemoblic disease. 

Module 7        Indications, contraindications, precautions, and patient teaching for drugs for skin disorders and disorders of the eye and ear. 

Module 8        Indications, contraindications, precautions, and patient teaching for drugs for neurologic disorders—headache, seizure disorders, Parkinsonism, and pain management. 

Module 9        Indications, contraindications, precautions, and patient teaching for drugs for psychiatric disorders—anxiety disorders, mood disorders, sleep disorders, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorders, obesity, alcoholism, substance abuse, and smoking cessation. 

Module 10      Indications, contraindications, precautions, and patient teaching for infectious diseases including immunization therapy, upper respiratory infections, pneumonia, tuberculosis, and urinary tract infections.  

Module 11      Indications, contraindications, precautions, and patient teaching for drugs for infectious diseases including sexually transmitted diseases, human immunodeficiency virus, mycotic and parasitic infections.  

Module 12      Indications, contraindications, precautions, and patient teaching for drugs for pediatric and neonatal therapy, OB/GYN disorders, and gerontology.  

Class Participation/Discussion:

Students are expected to actively participate in all interactive aspects of the course. Student must check the course bulletin board frequently for announcements, and students must actively participate in all discussion events. Each discussion question will be posted on Mondays and the student must read the threads and complete responses by the following Sunday at midnight CST. If a student is unable to fulfill this requirement for any reason, he/she must notify the faculty prior to the deadline and make alternative arrangements.

All students are to interact on the discussion board with each other and the faculty. Students are required to respond to all discussion questions. Responses to discussion questions must be substantive, reflect the readings, thoughtful, and analytical.

Grading: Discussions will be graded as follows: Discussion is substantive, thoughtful, and analytical; discussion reflects insightful observation based on the readings and/or experience; references are provided if appropriate.  Discussions that are copied directly from a website will be given a zero grade for that week without opportunity to redo the discussion for that assignment. Each student entry must provide new material that is not copied from another student’s work.

Because the WebCT system has its own way of formatting material posted on the discussion feature, the student will not be expected to strictly follow APA guidelines for on-line submissions. However, the student is responsible for academic standards of writing style, use of proper grammar, punctuation, and spelling.  Plagiarism is unacceptable.

Punctuality: Students are expected to submit assignments on time and to complete the course in the time required.  Students who submit assignments late will receive point reductions for late work.  

• Check the course calendar for due dates of all assignments 
• Check the course bulletin board for announcements 
• Check the mail box for messages 

Late assignments/papers will have the assignment grade reduced 10% at any time after the due time the first 24 hours and another 10% the second 24 hours. After 48 hours, late assignments will receive a zero grade and will not be accepted. No make-up assignments or examinations will be given.

EXPECTATIONS:

The student is expected to: 

• Learn how to navigate in WebCT system 
• Use Help sites located throughout WebCT or contact appropriate personnel for learning/problems with computer programs or WebCT.  (DO NOT ASK INSTRUCTOR TO HELP WITH COMPUTER, SOFTWARE, OR WEBCT PROGRAM PROBLEMS). 
• Participate by responding to discussion topics
• Read assigned text chapters, articles, and other readings assigned
• Complete all homework assignments and activities in each module
• Maintain currency of course announcements & messages 
• Use the WebCT email address rather than personal e-mail address 
• Contact the faculty if unclear about assignment expectations 
• Address immediately technical problems 
• Make sure assignments are turned in using the appropriate tool and in html or rich text format (any other format will not be accepted).
• Learn and utilize “Student Homepage” function for presentations
• Keep up with required readings and homework assignments (THIS IS ESSENTIAL) 

GUIDELINES FOR COMMUNICATIONS 

Students are responsible for communicating with the instructor regarding any questions, concerns, or need for clarification about instructions.

 Email:

• Always include a subject line.
• Address the faculty member or classmate by name and title if appropriate.
• All e-mails should use professional language.
• Every attempt should be made to use correct spelling and punctuation. 
• Remember without facial expressions some comments may be taken the wrong way.
• Be very careful in wording your emails. Use of emoticons might be helpful in some cases.
• Use standard fonts.
• Do not send large attachments without permission
• For any attachment: use html or rich text format
• Respect the privacy of other class members.
• Use WebCT email

  Discussion Groups:

  Review the discussion threads thoroughly before entering the discussion.

• If not starting a new topic, use “threads” by using the “Reply” button rather than starting a new topic.
• Do not make insulting or inflammatory statements to other members of the discussion group.
• Be respectful of others’ ideas
• Be patient and read the comments of other group members thoroughly before entering your remarks.
• Be cooperative with group leaders in completing assigned tasks.
• Be positive and constructive in group discussions.
• Respond in a thoughtful and timely manner.
• Do not dominate the conversation on the discussion board.
• Be careful not to repeat information already provided by another student or the instructor.   

The Tennessee Virtual Library is available to all students enrolled in the Regents Degree Program. Links to library materials (such as electronic journals, databases, interlibrary loans, digital reserves, dictionaries, encyclopedias, maps, and librarian support) and Internet resources needed by learners to complete online assignments and as background reading must be included in all courses. 

Qualified students with disabilities will be provided reasonable and necessary academic accommodations if determined eligible by the appropriate disability services staff at their home institution. Prior to granting disability accommodations in this course, the faculty must receive written verification of a student’s eligibility for specific accommodations from the disability services staff at the home institution. It is the student’s responsibility to initiate contact with his/her home institution’s disability services staff and to follow the established procedures for having the accommodation notice sent to the instructor.

The faculty reserves the right to make changes as necessary to this syllabus. If changes are necessitated during the term course, the faculty will immediately notify students of such changes both by individual email communication and posting both notification and nature of change(s) on the course bulletin board. 

If you are having problems logging into the course, timing out of the course, using the course web site tools, or other technical problems, please visit the Ask RODP Customer Support web page at http://askrodp.custhelp.com/ or call the AskRODP Help Desk at 1-866-550-RODP (1-866-550-7637)

IMPORTANT TO NOTE: Be sure to check with your internet service provider (IPS), especially if you are using a telephone dial-up connection, to check the inactive time at which you will be disconnected. Some IPS may not provide a pop-up box that asks if you want to stay connected. You should deactivate call waiting while you are online to avoid being disconnected. DIAL-UP CONNECTIONS  MAY NOT BE FAST ENOUGH—CONSIDER USING AN ALTERNATE SITE WHICH PROVIDES HIGH-SPEED INTERNET SERVICE.