General provisions

The course is given in term 2 in the nursing programme.

Three (3) credit points of this course is coordinated with four and a half (4,5) credit points from the course The content of nursing and its methods II (Caring science with specialisation in nursing) to studies located on or medical, surgical, geriatric wards or within different housing types in municipal activities.

Entry requirements

The courses in term 1, the nursing programme:

The contents and methods of the nursing IN

Anatomy and physiology

Learning outcomes

Knowledge and understanding

After the course, the student should:

* know

- the difference between producer-dependent and producer-independent pharmaceutical information

- producer-independent sources for information on drugs

- recommendations and caring programmes as supports in clinical every day work

- routines, laws/constitutions that guide promissory note, use and handling of drugs

* understand and describe

- the concepts drugs, natural remedies, plant based drugs

- the basic principles for development of new drugs and society's evaluation of drug usage in treatment

- the most important fundamental modes of action for drugs (pharmacodynamics)

- what happens with the drug in the body (pharmacokinetics)

- different pharmaceutical types and administrative routes

- the implication of the concepts dose-response relationship, concentration - effect connection and therapeutic width

- the most important mechanisms for interindividual variation in the pharmacokinetics of drugs and - dynamics and its clinical importance

- the importance of follow-up of the effects of drug and of retake of the need of drugs

- the principles for the use of concentration determination as a tool at dosage of drugs

- the implication of the concepts polypharmacy and drug interaction, mechanisms and clinical importance

- the most common mechanisms for adverse drug reactions and toxicity and the importance of continuous supervision of the safety of drugs

- the concepts placebo and nocebo and their importance when evaluating the effects of drugs

- the concept compliance (compliance) and its clinical importance

- pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic aspects in connection with drug treatment for older individuals

- the most common drugs at pain conditions, their modes of action and principles for effect value

- the most common sleep and reassuring means and the use/the risks with them

- evaluation of use and risks at drug treatment during pregnancy and breast feeding

- the nurse's role and responsibility in drug processing and drug calculation

- the importance for disease and health of microorganisms

- measures to prevent disease transmission

Skills and ability

* in the clinical care under supervision be able to

- acquire assignments from patients and their drug medical records concerning the patient's drug treatment and document these in an unambiguous way

- use the most important sources for information on drugs

- carry out samplings and apply hospital hygienic principles

* Independently be able to

- carry out correct calculations of drug doses for pills, injections, infusions and dilutions

Evaluation ability and attitudes

After the course, the student should be able to evaluate and reflect over

- the most important modes of action for drugs and individual variations in needs and treatment replies

- own ability, precision and responsibility at drug processing

- the importance of adhering to hospital hygienic principles in clinical care

Content

Theoretical studies

- development,follw-up and evidence-based values of drugs

- pharmacokinetic fundamental concept

- the modes of action of drugs

- the most important causes for variation in responses to medication between patients including heredity, reduced renal and hepatic function, age, environmental factors, compliance to prescription

- drug interactions and polypharmacy

- drug processing and drug calculation

- pharmacology of adverse drug reactions and toxicology

- drugs during pregnancy and breast feeding

- the pharmacology of pain

- antibiotics

- soporifics and reassuring means

- drugs and old people

- laws and constitutions within the pharmaceutical field of importance for healthcare

- basic bacteriology

- basic virology

- basic immunology

- hospital hygiene

School located studies

- Drug processing - unambiguous documentation of drug prescriptions

- using the most important sources for information on drugs

- samplings and application of hospital hygienic principles

Instruction

The student should seek and apply knowledge based on science and evidence and at nursing and treatment measures follow current laws, constitutions and ordinances.

Theoretical studies

Lectures, work in tutorial group, individual work, seminars and web-based teaching.

School located studies

Clinical/practical applications within current modes of care.

Compulsory parts: introduction to course, scheduled group meetings, seminars, clinical/practical applications, school located studies, tasks with written submission/SHORT ESSAY and examination.

Assessment

Examination is arranged continuously during the course in form of written and oral assignments individually and in groups. All parts, and individual written examination in drug calculation and final examination that is included in the course should be passed for the course in its entirety to be regarded as passed.

Under school located studies, examinations are carried out of clinical/practical parts and directed theoretical assignments.

Other regulations

Student that has failed examination is entitled to go through renewed examination further four times (= total five examinations).

Student that not has become passed in school located education is entitled to go through renewed school located education once.

Practice interrupted prematurely

A student may fail and may interrupt the school located education prematurely if there is a noticeable risk that the student due to incompetence may injure an other individual or valuable property if he or she continues to participate in the school located education.

An individual plan should be decided for the student and given to him or her in writing. In this plan that should be determined by the programme committe, should be stated the knowledge and skill shortages at hand and the support the student may obtain from the department to rectify these and how and when the control will take place and the procedure these should be done. A student is entitled to maximum two control occasions, however no more than one during each year.

The student may not participate in the school located education again, before the programme committee has controlled and accepted that the student has the knowledge and skills that are required.

Decision about the individual study programme may be delegated by the programme committee to the student welfare committee or equivalent body with student representation.