Overview

This unit presents an overview of the pathophysiological and pharmacological foundations, principles and procedures of safe medication administration, as well as of adverse reactions related to medications, and the legal requirements for safe administration.

Requisites

Teaching periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date

Learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:

  • Discuss Australian drug legislation and Quality Use of Medicines (QUM), impacting on nurses’ work in regard to medication administration
  • Describe the key pharmacokinetic processes and outline the major pharmacodynamic principles (e.g. agonist and antagonists, receptor-drug interactions)
  • Utilise an evidence based clinical reasoning framework to develop a plan focusing on strength based, safe and effective medication management
  • Identify and discuss the major pharmacology drug classes and related physiological effects
  • Demonstrate competence in safe calculation of medications

Teaching methods

Hawthorn

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
Online
Directed Online Learning and Independent Learning
1.50 8 weeks 12
On-campus
Class
2.00 8 weeks 16
On-campus
Practical
2.00 6 weeks 12
Specified Activities
Various
2.00 8 weeks 16
Unspecified Activities
Independent Learning
11.75 8 weeks 94
TOTAL150

Assessment

Type Task Weighting ULO's
AssignmentIndividual 30% 2,3,4 
Competency medication assessmentIndividual 20% 1,2,4,5 
ExaminationIndividual 40% 1,2,3,4 
Medication calculation testIndividual 10% 1,5 
AssignmentIndividual 30% 2,3,4 
Competency medication assessmentIndividual 20% 1,2,4,5 
ExaminationIndividual 40% 1,2,3,4 
Medication calculation testIndividual 10% 1,5 

Content

  • Australian drug legislation and regulation
  • QUM policy
  • Drug nomenclature, types of drug preparations, drug classifications
  • Pharmacodynamics & Pharmacokinetics – absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion.
  • Adverse drug effects - allergy, intolerance, cumulative effect, idiosyncratic effect and interactions
  • Factors affecting drug action – developmental, weight, gender, culture, psychological factors, pathology, environment, timing of administration
  • Pharmacology management related to men’s and women’s health, perioperative nursing, cardiovascular, respiratory, endocrine, neurological, renal, GIT & musculoskeletal system
  • Medication calculation

Study resources

Reading materials

A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.