School of Nursing  - UT Health Science Center San Antonio

Fall 2008

NURS 3312-001  Strategies for Professional Nursing: Pharmacotherapeutics

This course resides in the Department of Chronic Nursing Care

Course materials will be available on the course website.
Instructions will be provided in orientation and on the first day of class.
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Please be sure your to check the Current Computer Requirements

FACULTY

Adrianne D. Linton, PhD, RN
E-mail: Linton@uthscsa.edu
Phone: (210) 567-5104
Fax: (210) 567-5376
Office: 2.100
Office Hours: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 12 Noon to 1 PM 
    and online Wednesday 10 PM- 11 PM
Chronic Nursing Care Department

Virginia (Jennie) Shaw, M.S.N., R.N

.E-mail:  shawv@uthscsa.edu

Phone:  (210) 567-0189

Fax:  567-1719

Office:  2.224

Office Hours: Monday 10 AM to 1 PM

Acute Nursing Care Department


COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course introduces basic concepts of pharmacotherapy and the scientific basis of pharmacotherapeutics with legal/ethical guidelines for the nursing profession. The role of drug therapy in health promotion and in the prevention and treatment of specific health transitions will be emphasized. In addition, the customization of drug therapy and the partnership role of the professional nurse in drug therapy will be introduced.

CREDIT AND TIME ALLOCATION
3 Credits (3 hours theory)

PREREQUISITES
Admission to the School of Nursing

COURSE OBJECTIVES
  1. Examine the role of drug therapy in relation to health promotion, disease prevention, and specific health transitions.
  2. Incorporate understanding of drug classifications and actions to identify relevant assessment data, appropriate nursing goals and interventions, and evaluation data.
  3. Identify the need for customization of drug therapy based on individual patient variables.
  4. Integrate knowledge of physical and behavioral sciences with legal/ethical guidelines to plan safe and effective implementation of pharmacotherapeutics.
  5. Using a partnership model, describe how the nurse prepares patients and their families to manage self- pharmacotherapeutics.
  6. Demonstrate scholarship for the acquisition and application of new knowledge to practice.
  7. Explain how the critical thinking process is used to plan safe and effective drug therapy.

CLINICAL OBJECTIVES
N/A

CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION / GRADES
Successful completion of the course requires a minimum weighted examination average of 70% on exams, a minimum total weighted course average of 70%; and completion of the ATI pharmacology exam
Exam and activity weights are as follows:
20% - Exam 1
20% - Exam 2
20% - Exam 3
20% - Exam 4
10% - Group Activity
10% - Current Event
100% - Total
Letter grades are based on
A = 90-100%
B = 80-89%
C = 70-79%
D = 60-69%
F = Below 60%

Assignment due dates will be announced and noted in the course calendar .  For each day late (received after 5pm on the due date), 5 points will be deducted.


Assessment Technologies Institute®, LLC (ATI) RN Content Mastery Series®

UTHSCSA School of Nursing utilizes the ATI RN Content Mastery Series® & the RN Comprehensive Predictor® practice and proctored exams to assist students in preparing for the NCLEX-RN® exam (generic and LVN flexible process students). Through practice and proctored examinations, students are able to assess their own knowledge and receive feedback and direction for content review throughout the program of study.

The proctored exams are administered in specific courses in both undergraduate tracks (i.e. ATI Pharmacology in N3312 Pharmacotherapeutics; ATI Fundamentals in N3610 Chronic Health Transitions, ATI Leadership in N4410 Leader-Manager, etc.). The proctored exam is required to complete the course.

In order for a student to take the course related proctored exam, documentation of achieving ≥ 70% on the content series practice exam is required. The content practice exams can be taken as many times as necessary to achieve ≥ 70%.

Students will receive additional points added to the corresponding course grade for a Level 3 or Level 2 performance on the proctored exam (after achieving ≥ 70% on graded course requirements). For a Level 3 performance on the exam, 3 points will be added. For a Level 2 performance on the exam, 1 point will be added.


SCHOLASTIC DISHONESTY
Students are expected to be above reproach in all scholastic activities. Students who engage in scholastic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary penalties, including the possibility of failure in the course and dismissal from the university. "Scholastic dishonesty includes but is not limited to cheating, plagiarism, collusion, and submission for credit of any work or materials that are attributable in whole or in part to another person, taking an examination for another person, any act designed to give unfair advantage to a student or the attempt to commit such acts." Regents Rules and Regulations, Part One, Chapter VI, Section 3, Subsection 3.2, Subdivision 3.22.

American with Disabilities Act (ADA) Accommodations
Any student seeking ADA Accommodations under the American with Disabilities Act should contact the Associate Dean for Students within the first week of the semester so that appropriate accommodations may be arranged. A Request for Accommodations (Form 100) must be completed. These forms are available in the Office for Students Room: 1.118-16

REQUIRED TEXT / REFERENCE
Abrams, A. (2007). Clinical drug therapy (8th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott.

Kee, J.L., & Marshall, S. M. (2008). Clinical calculations (6th ed.). Philadelphia: Saunders.
         Text and pincode package

RECOMMENDED (OPTIONAL) TEXT / REFERENCE

Basch, E.M. &  Ulbright, C. (2004).  Natural Standard Herb and Supplement Handbook. (1st ed).  Mosby,
        Elsevier.

American Psychological Association.  (2005).  Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association


CONTENT OUTLINE
  1. General Principles of Pharmacotherapeutics
  2. Classifications of Pharmacotherapeutic agents with Nursing Implications
  3. Customization of Therapy
  4. Calculation of Drug Dosages

CALENDAR - First Week Only
Please check the Fall 2008 Schedules for recent updates on Class Dates & Room.
Date Topic / Assignment Due

Date:   Thursday, 8/28/08

             Room:  TBA
Time:  9 am - 11:55 am

Course Introduction, Orientation to Web-Based Activities,
Content: General Principles/Introduction to Pharmacology
Assignment: Begin reading Abrams chapters 1-4.
                         Do basic math review in Kee and online calculations practice

                         if needed.