| Effective Term: | 2025/08 |
| Institute / School : | Institute of Health and Wellbeing |
| Unit Title: | Nursing Context 5: Pharmacology for Nurses |
| Unit ID: | NURBN2020 |
| Credit Points: | 15.00 |
| Prerequisite(s): | Nil |
| Co-requisite(s): | Nil |
| Exclusion(s): | Nil |
| ASCED: | 060301 |
| Other Change: | |
| Brief description of the Unit |
This unit provides students continuing from year 1, with a more in-depth study of the field of therapeutics, which plays a significant role in the prevention and management of disease. Nurses and Midwives must have a comprehensive knowledge of the actions and effects of medicines being taken by patients and childbearing/lactating women in their care to provide safe, competent and effective medication administration. Understanding medications and the role of therapeutics requires a strong foundation of pharmacologic principles to help establish the knowledge base to underpin safe practice. This unit examines fundamental knowledge and skills to promote the therapeutic application of medications in the clinical setting and to enhance the ability of the nurse or midwife to provide person/woman-centered care and education across the lifespan |
| Grade Scheme: | Graded (HD, D, C, P, MF, F, XF) |
| Work Experience Indicator: |
| No work experience |
| Placement Component: No |
| Supplementary Assessment:Yes |
| Where supplementary assessment is available a student must have failed overall in the Unit but gained a final mark of 45 per cent or above, has completed all major assessment tasks (including all sub-components where a task has multiple parts) as specified in the Unit Description and is not eligible for any other form of supplementary assessment |
| Course Level: |
| Level of Unit in Course | AQF Level(s) of Course | | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | | Introductory | | | | | | | | Intermediate | | |  | | | | | Advanced | | | | | | |
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| Learning Outcomes: |
| Knowledge: |
| K1. | Identify and explain various terminologies, characteristics and mechanisms of action of significant medication groups |
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| K2. | Identify and explain the indicators of adverse drug reactions |
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| K3. | Identify and describe therapeutic effect of and responses to medications and related life span issues from pre-conception to end of life. |
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| Skills: |
| S1. | Analyse and identify appropriate medication administration considerations |
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| S2. | Analyse and explain factors which determine the potency of medication responses |
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| S3. | Apply nursing or midwifery assessment principles and clinical reasoning to medication administration to promote quality patient/woman care |
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| S4. | Explore the use of complementary and alternative therapies in the health care setting and describe the implications for nursing and/or midwifery |
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| Application of knowledge and skills: |
| A1. | Explore the impact of polypharmacy and develop patient/woman-specific nursing and midwifery plans for patient/woman care |
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| A2. | Investigate factors and processes which may contribute to medication errors in professional practice |
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| A3. | Explore the effect of health technology/ informatics on prescribing, dispensing and administering medications |
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| A4. | Apply the knowledge and skills of therapeutic pharmacological intervention in a clinical based scenario(s) |
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| Unit Content: |
The current NMBA Registered Nurse Standards for Practice, NMBA Code of Conduct for Nurses, Code of Ethics for Nurses, National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards, Aged Care Quality Standards, National Health Priority Areas and where applicable the NMBA National Competency Standards for the Midwives, NMBA Code of Conduct for Midwives, ICM/NMBA Code of Ethics for Midwives have informed the content development of this unit. Pharmacodynamics Practice applications of pharmacodynamics Pharmacokinetics Practice applications of pharmacokinetics Polypharmacy and socio-cultural aspects Medication and WHO research Medication Groupings Medication terminology Lifespan issues and adverse drug reactions Implications of medication use during pre-conception, pregnancy and lactation Application of ethics and critical thinking to pharmacology scenarios Allergy and adverse drug reaction Cultural health issues relating to pharmaceuticals Pharmacological assessment & clinical decision making Assessment protocols/template applications Patient medication education (e.g. teach back method) Medication charting and errors, (RISK MAN and open disclosure) Complementary, alternative and Over the Counter (OTC) medications and therapies. Medication safety in mental health |
| Graduate Attributes: |
| | Learning Outcomes Assessed | Assessment Tasks | Assessment Type | Weighting | | 1. | K1, K2, K3, S1, S2, S3, S4, A1, A2, A3, A4 | Attendance at Active Learning Sessions | 80% Attendance at Active Learning Sessions | S/U Hurdle | | 2. | K1, K2, K3, S1, S2, S3, A2, A4 | Patient education video on medication regime | Asynchronous oral presentation | 40-60% | | 3. | K1, K2, K3, S2, A1, A4 | Group poster presentation on quality use of medicines | Poster | 40-60% |
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