Course Competency 1: Apply basic pharmacology principles to medication management

Learning Objectives:

• Explain the processes of pharmacokinetics and their impact on medication absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion
• Apply pertinent medication information from multiple credible professional resources to inform safe medication management
• Explain the principles of pharmacodynamics and how they relate to medication effects in the body, including mechanisms of action, receptor interactions, and dose-response relationships
• Discuss how pharmacodynamic responses vary across the life span and influence medication selection and dosing
• Utilize appropriate medical terminology when discussing and documenting medication therapy
• Evaluate prescription medications, over-the-counter products, herbals, and dietary supplements in terms of regulation, safety, and therapeutic use

Course Competency 2: Examine legal, ethical, social, and cultural issues related to medication administration

Learning Objectives:

• Apply the medication administration guidelines from the State Nurse Practice Act to ensure safe and legal nursing practice
• Explain nursing responsibilities for preventing and responding to medication errors, including common strategies and best practices
• Explain the nursing responsibilities associated with the handling and administration of controlled substances, including common strategies and best practices
• Outline steps for ethically managing and reporting medication errors in nursing practice
• Explain the client’s rights and responsibilities in relation to medication therapy
• Apply knowledge of a clients' gender, psychosocial, and cultural needs to provide client-centered medication administration
• Summarize key nursing responsibilities that contribute to safe medication administration practices
• Explain the essential components and nursing responsibilities associated with client medication education

Course Competency 3: Apply the nursing process to the administration of antimicrobial medications

Learning Objectives:

• Explain the major classifications of antimicrobial medications and their mechanisms of action
• Describe safe administration practices for antimicrobial medications, including appropriate timing, method, and client selection
• Recognize common side effects and special nursing considerations when providing antimicrobial therapy
• Discuss how age-related factors influence the use, dosage, and monitoring of antimicrobial medications
• Apply laboratory test results related to antimicrobial therapy and explain their significance in guiding treatment decisions
• Discuss the impact of resistant organisms on health care

Course Competency 4: Apply the nursing process to the administration of autonomic nervous system medications

Learning Objectives:

• Explain the major classifications of autonomic nervous medications and their mechanisms of action
• Describe safe administration practices for autonomic nervous system medications, including appropriate timing, method, and client selection
• Recognize common side effects and special nursing considerations when administering autonomic nervous system medications
• Discuss how age-related factors influence the use, dosage, and monitoring of autonomic nervous system medications
• Apply laboratory test results related to autonomic nervous system medications and explain their significance in guiding treatment decisions

Course Competency 5: Apply the nursing process to the administration of respiratory system medications

Learning Objectives:

• Explain the major classifications of respiratory system medications and their mechanisms of action
• Describe safe administration practices for respiratory system medications, including appropriate timing, method, and client selection
• Recognize common side effects and special nursing considerations when administering respiratory system medications
• Discuss how age-related factors influence the use, dosage, and monitoring of respiratory system medications
• Apply laboratory test results related to respiratory system medications and explain their significance in guiding treatment decisions

Course Competency 6: Apply the nursing process to the administration of cardiovascular and renal systems medications

Learning Objectives:

• Explain the major classifications of cardiovascular and renal system medications and their mechanisms of action
• Describe safe administration practices for cardiovascular and renal system medications, including appropriate timing, method, and client selection
• Recognize common side effects and special nursing considerations when administering cardiovascular and renal system medications
• Discuss how age-related factors influence the use, dosage, and monitoring of cardiovascular and renal system medications
• Apply laboratory test results related to cardiovascular and renal system medications and explain their significance in guiding treatment decisions
• Explain how cardiac output, peripheral resistance, blood volume, and the RAAS system regulate blood pressure
• Explain the roles of sodium (Na), potassium (K), and calcium (Ca) ions in the cardiac conduction system and their impact on cardiac function

Course Competency 7: Apply the nursing process to the administration of gastrointestinal system medications

Learning Objectives: 

• Explain the major classifications of gastrointestinal system medications and their mechanisms of action
• Describe safe administration practices for gastrointestinal system medications, including appropriate timing, method, and client selection
• Recognize common side effects and special nursing considerations when administering gastrointestinal system medications
• Discuss how age-related factors influence the use, dosage, and monitoring of gastrointestinal system medications
• Apply laboratory test results related to gastrointestinal system medications and explain their significance in guiding treatment decisions

Course Competency 8: Apply the nursing process to the administration of central nervous system medications

Learning Objectives:

• Explain the major classifications of central nervous system medications and their mechanisms of action
• Describe safe administration practices for central nervous system medications, including appropriate timing, method, and client selection
• Recognize common side effects and special nursing considerations when administering central nervous system medications
• Discuss how age-related factors influence the use, dosage, and monitoring of central nervous system medications
• Apply laboratory test results related to central nervous system medications and explain their significance in guiding treatment decisions

Course Competency 9: Apply the nursing process to the administration of endocrine system medications

Learning Objectives:

• Explain the major classifications of endocrine system medications and their mechanisms of action
• Describe safe administration practices for endocrine system medications, including appropriate timing, method, and client selection
• Recognize common side effects and special nursing considerations when administering endocrine system medications
• Discuss how age-related factors influence the use, dosage, and monitoring of endocrine system medications
• Apply laboratory test results related to endocrine system medications and explain their significance in guiding treatment decisions

Course Competency 10: Apply components of the nursing process to the administration of analgesic and musculoskeletal system drugs

Learning Objectives:

• Explain the major classifications of analgesic and musculoskeletal system medications and their mechanisms of action
• Describe safe administration practices for analgesic and musculoskeletal system medications including appropriate timing, method, and client selection
• Recognize common side effects and special nursing considerations when administering analgesic and musculoskeletal system medications
• Discuss how age-related factors influence the use, dosage, and monitoring of analgesic and musculoskeletal system medications
• Apply laboratory test results related to analgesic and musculoskeletal system medications and explain their significance in guiding treatment decisions
• Discuss the importance of a thorough pain assessment and the role of non-pharmacologic and multimodal approaches to pain management
• Describe the nurse’s role in anesthetic drug administration, including comparisons between local and general anesthetics and identify the four stages of general anesthesia

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