Academic Unit School of Nursing Course Prefix NUR 540 Course Title: Term Offered: Credit Hours/Clock Hours: Course Prerequisites: Course Co-requisite: Mode of Instruction: Pharmacology for Advanced Practice Nurses Fall and Spring 3 Credit Hours/45 clock hours Admission to the Nursing graduate program NUR 520 (Pathophysiology) Online Instructor Name: Instructor Contact Information: Instructor Availability: Course Description: This course provides foundational knowledge and skills in the pharmacologic management of common health problems. Course Purpose: The purpose of this course is to provide foundational knowledge and skill in the pharmacologic management of common health problems. This course provides foundational knowledge necessary for the family nurse practitioner student to be successful in the clinical setting. This course is taught in an online format and uses online written activities, discussion postings, and quizzes to reinforce learning and application of pharmacologic content. By the end of this course, the student will be prepared to enter the clinical setting with a base knowledge for prescribing and monitoring of medications.
Student Learning Outcomes: Professionalism and professional values Differentiate current federal and state regulations relative to dispensing and prescribing medications, including special state regulations for monitoring prescription drug use. Clinical practice and prevention Analyze the relationship between pharmacologic agents and physiologic/pathologic response including actual, adverse, and significant drug reactions. Clinical reasoning Analyze cost, efficacy, age, and quality of life when selecting pharmacologic therapeutics for common primary care conditions. Apply principles of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics in selecting drugs Compare and contrast pharmacologic agents with respect to treatment of individuals with specific acute and chronic health problems across the lifespan, based on current evidence. Communication Develop relevant client education strategies to facilitate collaboration in treatment and to maximize therapeutic response. Course Structure: This online course will allow for investigation, collaboration, and application of content from selected resources available to the student within the BBLearn course shell and from external sites. Required Textbook: Edmunds, M.W. & Mayhew, M.S. (2013) Pharmacology for the Primary Care Provider. (4 th Ed.)Mosby: St. Louis ISBN 978-0-323-08790-2 Recommended Textbooks: American Psychological Association (2009). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (6th Ed.). Washington, DC: Author. ISBN: 978-1-4338-0561-5 The Sanford Guide to Antimicrobial Therapy (46 th Ed.) Available in print or download. Pathophysiology text of your choice as a reference. A smartphone with Epocrates software. http://www.epocrates.com/products/rx/ The free download is adequate for this course. The Essentials or Essential Deluxe is recommended for clinical practice.
Course Content: Topic Modules contain readings, other resources, and links to sites important in understanding pharmacology in the context of our healthcare system. There are no live lectures. The instructor will be available via course messaging or NAU email for any questions or concerns. Quizzes/Examinations: The quizzes and examinations are all multiple choice. 10 quizzes 1 Mid-term Examination 1 Final examination The quizzes will be open at the beginning of each week/module. The student will be allowed two attempts for each quiz with the highest score attained being recorded. There will be two examinations throughout the course. The quizzes and examinations are open book and you may use any of the course resources provided. The quizzes and examinations are to be done individually, not with other students/persons. Assignments Instructions in Assignment Module CDC case studies: Students will complete several modules on the CDC website. The student will submit the completion certificate to earn points for that module. Over-the-counter medication assignment Discussion Board assignments (2) Review of evidence-based pharmacologic research article Clinical guideline assignment Assessment of Student Learning Outcomes Quizzes 10 @ 2 points each 20 points Examinations 2 @10 points each 20 points CDC modules (3) 10 points OTC medication assignment 15 points Discussion Board 2 @ 10 points each 20 points Clinical Guideline Review 15 points Total: 100 points Grading System Letter grades will be assigned as per standard School of Nursing scale: A = 93-100 B = 84-92 C = 78-83 F = < 78 MS Program Requirement:
A grade of 84% or better is required to pass a graduate course. If a student earns less than 84% in a graduate course, the student must repeat the course. Therefore, a graduate course with a C or less must be repeated. Students are also required to earn a score of 84% or better on the paper and/or project in each course that builds toward the final development and completion of the Capstone portfolio. Students are also required to earn a pass grade on the final Capstone project which includes the dissemination of the Capstone project. The student s coursework related to the development and completion of the Capstone will be submitted in his or her portfolio for partial fulfillment of the graduation requirements for the Masters of Science (MS) degree in Nursing. If less than an 84% is achieved, the assignment related to the development of the Capstone will be considered failed and the student will receive a grade of in-progress (IP) for that course. The student has one opportunity to revise the assignment with a successful outcome score. The student and faculty member will agree upon a deadline for the revision and notify the program coordinator of the agreed learning contract. If the assignment related to the Capstone is failed a second time, the course will be considered failed and the student will need to repeat the course. Course policies: Important Notice: There is strict adherence to every part of the NAU Student Handbook and the NAU Graduate Nursing Student Handbook. Retests/Makeup tests: It is expected that module quizzes and examinations will be taken during the time scheduled. Illness or other reasons to delay testing should be brought up with the instructor prior to the closing date of any quiz. Rescheduling of an exam may be arranged for valid reasons such as illness or personal/family emergencies. Re-tests are not offered once a quiz is completed. Late assignments: ALL ASSIGNMENTS are to be submitted as scheduled. Late assignments will not be accepted unless prior approval is obtained. Please make sure to communicate with the instructor to re-negotiate assignment due dates in advance if delays are anticipated. Attendance Policy: Under NAU Policy, students are expected to engage in class and be prepared to participate in the activities and discussion. We believe active engagement will enrich the learning experience. Academic Dishonesty/Plagiarism: All forms of student academic dishonesty, including cheating, fabrication, facilitating academic dishonesty and plagiarism are prohibited and subject to disciplinary action. Cheating means intentionally using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information or study aids in any academic exercise. Fabrication means intentional and unauthorized falsification or invention of any information or citation in an academic exercise. Plagiarism means intentionally or knowingly representing the words or ideas of another, as one's own in any academic
exercise. For further explanation of academic dishonesty refer to the School of Nursing Graduate Student Handbook and Northern Arizona University Student Handbook. See the following document for additional policy statements: http://www4.nau.edu/avpaa/uccpolicy/plcystmt.html