General provisions

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

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 of information on drugs

- recommendations and nursing programmes as support in everyday clinical work

- routines, laws/statutes that guide prescription, use and handling of drugs

* understand and be able to describe

- the concepts drugs, natural remedies, plant based drugs

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

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

- what happens with drugs in the body (pharmacokinetics)

- different pharmaceutical types and modes of administration

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

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

- the importance of the follow-up of the effects of drugs and of the reconsideration of the need of drugs

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

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

- the most common mechanisms of adverse drug reactions and toxicity, as well as the importance of continuous supervision of drug safety

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

- the concept compliance and its clinical importance

- pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic aspects in connection with drug treatment for the elderly

- the most common drugs for conditions of pain, their modes of action and principles of evaluation of effects

- the most common hypnotics and sedatives and their benefits/risks

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

- the nurse's role and responsibility in the handling of drugs and drug calculation

Skills and ability

* In clinical care under supervision be able to

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

- use the most important sources of information on drugs

* 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 on:

- the most important modes of action of drugs, as well as individual variations in needs and response to treatment; embedded in clinical practice

Content

- development, follow-up and evidence-based evaluation of drugs

- fundamental pharmacokinetic concepts

- 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

- handling of drugs and drug calculation

- pharmacology of adverse drug reactions and toxicology

- drugs during pregnancy and breast feeding

- the pharmacology of pain

- hypnotics and sedatives

- drugs and the elderly

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

- handling of drugs

- unambiguous documentation of drug prescriptions

- use of the most important sources of information on drugs

Instruction

The student should seek and apply knowledge based on science and evidence, as well as follow current laws, statutes and decrees during nursing and treatment procedures.

Theoretical studies

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

Compulsory parts: introduction to the course, scheduled tutorial group meetings, seminars, tasks with written submission/short essay and examination.

Assessment

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

Other regulations

A student who has failed an examination is entitled to go through a renewed examination a further four times (= a total of five examinations).