NURSING 785 - Clinical Reasoning in Pharmacotherapeutics

This course builds on prior knowledge to establish an advanced understanding of pharmacotherapeutics and the application of the principles of pharmacokinetics, pharmaco-dynamics to prescribing practice in advanced practice roles. It also develops nursing skills in clinical reasoning for safe and effective prescribing.   

Prerequisite: NURSING 742, 773

Restriction: NURSING 706, 722

Aims of the course

This course is designed to build on nurses’ undergraduate knowledge to develop an in depth understanding of pharmacotherapeutics and apply the principles of pharmacokinetics, pharmaco‐dynamics to prescribing practice in advanced practice roles and to develop nurses’ skills in clinical reasoning in pharmacotherapeutics and the mechanisms necessary for safe and effective prescribing. Understanding the principles of pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, pharmacogenomics, and drug‐drug interactions are discussed and evaluated in this course.

This course addresses the practical and analytical considerations for prescribing as the clinician makes decisions based on risk/benefit considerations that require skills that are not limited to understanding pharmacology and therapeutics, but support the process of clinical decision‐making.

To provide the advanced practice Registered Nurse with an analytical framework to prescribe safely within the legal and administrative boundaries of New Zealand.

Learning outcomes

At the completion of this course the Registered Nurse will be able to:

1. Demonstrate an in depth understanding of pharmacotherapeutics including pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics and their application in prescribing

2. Critically examine the regulatory, legislative parameters required for prescribing in advanced nursing roles

3. Critically examine the interdisciplinary collaboration required for prescribing in advanced nursing roles

4. Demonstrate sound clinical reasoning in beginning prescribing practice based on the use of an analytical framework, evidence based practice, risk/benefit analysis

5. Discuss the management of actual and potential clinical situations in prescribing practice e.g. polypharmacy; adverse drug reactions, toxicity, sensitivity; considerations

6. Critically evaluate the knowledge required for safe prescribing in specialty practice areas including physiology, pathophysiology and comprehensive patient assessment

7. Critically analyse processes to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of prescribing decisions for clients

There will be 8 study days (4x2 day blocks), including 1 verbal exam day.

Assessment Points