NURS120 Drug Calculations and their Implications
Department of Health Sciences: Nursing
- I. Course Number and Title
- NURS120 Drug Calculations and their Implications
- II. Number of Credits
- 1 credit
- III. Number of Instructional Minutes
- 750
- IV. Prerequisites
- Nursing major or RN or LPN license. Math Placement Test score of 3 or higher.
- Corequisites
- None
- V. Other Pertinent Information
- None
- VI. Catalog Course Description
- This course is designed for nursing students and for nurses returning to practice. Drug calculations, intravenous solutions, and their implications will be covered.
- VII. Required Course Content and Direction
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Course Learning Goals
At the end of the course, the student will be able to:
- calculate specific drug problems at an 80% proficiency;
- apply the metric and apothecary systems;
- use specific abbreviations to calculate drug problems; and
- analyze data relevant to administering safe dosages.
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Planned Sequence of Topics and/or Learning Activities
- continuous and intermittent intravenous rates
- mixing medications, infusion rates, and calculations based on milligrams/ldlogram of body weight/hour micrograms/kilogram of body weight/mmute milligrams per body surface area using nomograms
- calculating caloric content of Total Parenteral Nutrition, oral and enteral feedings
- calculations related to blood products
- following protocols for drug calculations
- evaluating and analyzing the implications of the drug and administration
- reviewing "steady state" and "half life" of medications that dosage calculations are required
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Assessment Methods for Course Learning Goals
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Reference, Resource, or Learning Materials to be used by Student:
The current textbook is listed in the course syllabus. Procedure and protocol guidelines from health care facilities will be distributed with permission of the facility.
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Review/Approval Date - 2/99; New Core 8/2015