NURS 6521: Advanced Pharmacology Course Syllabus
Syllabus
Student Support and Calendar Information
So you have all key information available to you off-line, it is highly recommended that you print the following items for your reference:
This Syllabus, including the Course Schedule that is linked on this page as a PDF It is strongly suggested that you print out the following for your reference:
This Syllabus, which includes the Course Schedule that is linked to on this page as a PDF Course Calendar Support, Guidelines, and Policies
Hours of Credit
5 credits in 11 weeks
Credit hours at Walden University are based on how many and what kinds of assignments help students meet the course learning goals. In general, a semester credit is worth about 42 hours of work, and a quarter credit is worth about 28 hours of work. This amount of time is about average for work at the undergraduate level and the bare minimum for work at the graduate level. The number and types of activities estimated to fill time requirements will depend on the student’s degree level, how they learn, and how familiar they are with the way the course is taught and the course content. NURS 6521: Course Outline for Advanced Pharmacology
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Advanced practice nurses must have a strong understanding of the ideas and principles of drug therapy across the life span. This course applies the advanced principles of pharmacology, such as pharmacogenomics, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics, by analyzing common drug classes prescribed by advanced practice nurses across the life span. Consideration is given to factors that affect how well a therapy works, such as its effectiveness, safety, acceptability, cost, genetic and environmental influences, complementary treatments, and how the patient acts. NURS 6521: Advanced Pharmacology Syllabus. This course helps students get ready to make difficult decisions about how to manage and treat certain acute and chronic diseases across the life span, using both drugs and non-drugs. Students in advanced practice nursing will know more about the laws and rules about drugs and how to prescribe them.
Course Prerequisites
There are no requirements to take this class.
Learning Outcomes for the Course
When this course is over, you should be able to:
Figure out how patient factors affect the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic processes.
Analyze the effects of pharmacotherapeutic treatments for disorders of body systems on patient outcomes
Look at the things that affect how patients are treated with drugs.
Check how drug therapy affects the health of the patient.
Use classifications, indications, patient factors, and pathophysiology to make decisions about how drugs should be used. NURS 6521: Course Outline for Advanced Pharmacology
Think about the moral and legal consequences of prescribing drugs.
Aligning Learner Outcomes (SON)
To see the SON Alignment of Learner Outcomes, click on the link below:
Alignment of Learning Outcomes for NURS 6521 SON (PDF)
Advanced Pharmacology Course Outline and Course Materials for NURS 6521
Please go to the University bookstore through your Walden student portal to make sure you get the right version of any course texts or other materials listed below. When you get your materials, make sure that they have everything you need.
Course Calendar
Support, Guidelines, and Policies
Credit Hours
5 credits in 11 weeks
Walden University assigns credit hours based on the number and type of assignments that enable students to achieve the course learning objectives. In general, each semester credit equals about 42 hours of total student work and each quarter credit equals about 28 hours of total student work. This time requirement represents an approximate average for undergraduate work and the minimum expectations for graduate work. The number and kind of activities estimated to fulfill time requirements will vary by degree level and student learning style, and by student familiarity with the delivery method and course content. NURS 6521: Advanced Pharmacology Course Syllabus
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Course Description
A solid foundation in the concepts and principles of drug therapy across the lifespan is essential to the work of advanced practice nurses. This course applies the advanced principles of pharmacology, including pharmacogenomics, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics, by analysis of common drug classes prescribed by advanced practice nurses across the life span. Factors influencing successful therapy, such as effectiveness, safety, acceptability, cost, genetic/environmental influences, complementary regimens, and patient behaviors are considered. Through this course, students prepare to examine complex decisions in the management and treatment of selected acute and chronic diseases across the life span through pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic agents NURS 6521: Advanced Pharmacology Syllabus. Advanced practice nursing students will have a more in-depth understanding of drug legislation and regulation for prescribing drugs.
Course Prerequisites
There are no prerequisites for this course.
Course Learning Outcomes
By the conclusion of this course, you should be able to:
Evaluate the impact of patient factors on pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic processes
Analyze pharmacotherapeutic treatments for body system disorders and the effects they have on patient outcomes
Analyze factors that impact patient drug therapy plans
Evaluate the impact of drug therapy on patient health outcomes
Apply decision-making strategies for the appropriate use of drugs based on classifications, indications, patient factors, and pathophysiology NURS 6521: Advanced Pharmacology Course Syllabus
Evaluate ethical and legal implications of prescribing drugs
SON Alignment of Learner Outcomes
Click on the following link to access the SON Alignment of Learner Outcomes:
Document: NURS 6521 SON Alignment of Learning Outcomes (PDF)
NURS 6521: Advanced Pharmacology Course Syllabus – Course Materials
Please visit the University bookstore via your Walden student portal to ensure you are obtaining the correct version of any course texts and/or materials noted in the following section. When you receive your materials, make sure that all required items are included.
Course Text
Rosenthal, L. D., & Burchum, J. R. (2018). Lehne’s pharmacotherapeutics for advanced practice providers. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier.
Note: If the print edition of these books are referenced here, electronic versions also may be available and may be acceptable for use in this course. If an electronic version is listed, no print version is available. NURS 6521: Advanced Pharmacology Syllabus.
Other readings (journal articles, websites, book excerpts, etc.) are assigned throughout the course and may be found within each Module.
Course Readings List
The Course Readings List contains all of the required Walden Library resources for this course. Please click on the following link to access the list:
Course Readings List
Media
Assigned course media elements may be found in one or more modules of the course and are available via a streaming media player or a hyperlink to the individual item.
Dedicated Support for Course Media
You may use the following e-mail address and toll-free number for any questions or concerns you have about media in the course.
E-mail: mediasupport@waldenu.edu
Phone: 1-877-238-2963
Primary and Secondary Sources
Review the following information prior to selecting resources for assignments.
Primary: A primary source is an original document that is the first account of what happened. A research report is primary, and you can tell because it includes materials and methods demonstrating how the research was done. Some creative work is also primary, such as poetry, novels, and interviews of people who experienced something firsthand. In nursing, which is an evidence-based discipline, we strive to use primary research that is published in scholarly, peer-reviewed journals. NURS 6521: Advanced Pharmacology Course Syllabus
Scholarly, peer-reviewed journal: Scholarly journals publish papers by professional authors and experts in the field using a peer-review process to review the work and assure quality before publishing. The focus of a scholarly journal is to provide accurate information for scholars and other researchers. The focus is on content rather than advertising, a direct contrast to popular media. Scholarly journals publish both primary and secondary papers, the former usually noted as original research and the latter as reviews and commentaries. Letters to the editor may also be published but should be recognized as opinion pieces.
Note: When selecting articles for course assignments, you are advised (unless you are referencing seminal information) to focus on work published within the past five years.
Secondary: A secondary source is one step removed from the original source. This work interprets and often compiles other work, and it includes review articles, textbooks, fact sheets, and commentaries about a topic. It also includes news reports of original research. Secondary work is more prone to error and bias than primary work because it is being filtered through an additional person or persons. Review papers can be useful to glean information about a topic and to find other sources from the reference list, but it is the original, primary research that should be relied on most heavily in demonstrating scholarship, depth, and validation of factual information.
Course Assignments
Participation in weekly Discussions: The exchange of ideas among colleagues engaged in scholarly inquiry is a key aspect of learning and is a requisite activity in this course. You are expected to participate each week by posting a response to a prompt or question in the weekly Discussion area. In addition, you are expected to respond to your fellow students’ postings. To count as participation, responses need to be thoughtful; that is, they must refer to the week’s readings, relevant issues in the news, information obtained from other sources, and/or ideas expressed in the postings of other class members. You may ask questions or offer further information or links about the subject. Please pay attention to grammar and spelling, as consistently poorly written posts will receive grade penalties. In grading the required Discussion postings, your Instructor will be using the Discussion Posting and Response Rubric, located in the Course Information area. NURS 6521: Advanced Pharmacology Syllabus
Note: Unless otherwise noted, initial postings to Discussions are due on or before Day 3, and response postings are due on or before Day 6. You are required to participate in the Discussion on at least three different days (a different day for main post and each response). It is important to adhere to the weekly time frame to allow others ample time to respond to your posting. In addition, you are expected to respond to questions directed toward your own initial posting in a timely manner.
Assignments: The Assignments provide you with the opportunity to apply the skills and knowledge gained through the Learning Resources and the practicum experience. See the Assignment area of specific weeks for detailed descriptions of the assignments. In grading the required Assignments, your Instructor will be using rubrics located in the Course Information area.Note: The course Assignments will require that you completely and accurately demonstrate critical thinking via assimilation and synthesis of ideas when using credible, outside and course specific resources (i.e. video, required readings, textbook), when comparing different points of view, highlighting similarities, differences, and connections, and/or when lending support to your Assignment responses.
Portfolio Assignment: Each course in the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program for the following specializations includes a Portfolio Assignment: Nursing Education, Nurse Executive, Nursing Informatics, and Public Health Nursing. The Portfolio Assignment is designed to measure specific professional knowledge and skills as outlined in the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Master’s Essentials. Students submit the Portfolio Assignment in the online classroom and a criterion-based scoring rubric is used to grade the assignment. The rubric is aligned with American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Master’s Essentials and provides specific and informative feedback on your performance. The Portfolio Assignment is evaluated by the course Instructor.
Grading Criteria and Total Components of a Grade – NURS 6521: Advanced Pharmacology Course Syllabus
Course grades will be based on participation (postings) and completion of assignments listed below.
Note: All assignments must be completed to pass the course.
Letter grades will be assigned as follows:
90%–100% = A
80%–89% = B
70%–79% = C
< 70% = F
Please see below for the policy on Incomplete (I) grades.
Assignment Total Points Percentage
(Weighted)
DiscussionsParticipation in Discussions*
(4 @ 100 pts. each) 400 25%
Assignments
Week 1 Assignment (100 pts.)
Week 2 Assignment (100 pts.)
Week 3 Assignment (100 pts.)
Week 5 Assignment (100 pts.)
Week 8 Assignment (100 pts.)
Week 9 Assignment (100 pts.)
NURS 6521: Advanced Pharmacology Syllabus
600 25%
Exams
Midterm Exam (100 pts.)
Final Exam (100 pts.)
200 50%
Total 1,200 100%
* Each Discussion requires that you make one initial posting and at least two response postings to colleagues. See the Discussion Posting and Response Rubric for posting details.
Incomplete Grade Policy
Per University policy, Incomplete grades can be granted only to students who have already met the minimum criteria for active weekly participation in a course (including weekly postings in online courses) and have completed at least 80% of other coursework. Incompletes can be awarded when, because of extenuating circumstances, a student has not met additional course requirements, including but not limited to written assignments, group projects, and research papers, as applicable. All Incomplete grades are awarded at the discretion of the course faculty. (Reproduced from Student Catalog)
Students who are eligible for an Incomplete must contact the Course Faculty to request the grade as soon as possible. Students who do not meet the criteria listed above will not be allowed to earn an Incomplete. If the Incomplete is approved, the Faculty Member will work with the student to outline the due date(s) for remaining work. Under no circumstances will the new due dates extend beyond 50 days from the last day of the term. Faculty will then have 10 days to assess the work and post the permanent grade before the University-allotted Incomplete time limit of 60 days expires. All Incomplete grades not resolved within the time allotted will convert to permanent grades of F.
Instructor Feedback Schedule
The Instructor will log in to the course during the week to monitor the weekly Discussion area. Feedback will be provided via the My Grades area, the Discussion area, and/or the Announcements page.
You can expect your weekly assignment grades to be posted within 10 calendar days of a due date. Instructor feedback and explanation is provided whenever full credit is not achieved. Depending on the nature of the feedback, Instructor responses may be posted to the Discussion area or included in the My Grades area. The goal of your Instructor is to act as a discussion and learning facilitator rather than a lecturer. The Instructor will not respond to every posting by every individual, so please feel free to ask your Instructor if you would like some personal feedback on a particular assignment posting or any time you have any questions regarding your assignments or your grade.
Course Procedures
All class Discussions take place in the weekly Discussion areas.
You are encouraged to post course-related questions to the Contact the Instructor area as they may be of interest to all; however, if your question is urgent, it is often best to e-mail the Instructor. If your e-mailed question is thought to be of benefit to all, it may be responded to by the Instructor via e-mail to all or posted as an announcement.
Instructor feedback on content and writing issues that is thought to be of benefit to the entire class may be posted to the Contact the Instructor area; however, most personal critique will be done privately in the Grade Center. Be sure to check the Grade Center for comments every week even if you received full credit.
Please feel free to use the Class Café to initiate and participate in conversations not directly related to the course. This is an excellent opportunity to get to know other students better. The Instructor will browse the Class Café occasionally but generally will not respond to conversations posted there unless students have specific questions for him or her.
Check the e-mail account you use for official Walden University business on a regular basis. The expectation is that you are checking this e-mail account daily during the week. If you experience difficulty sending or receiving Walden e-mail, please contact the Customer Care Team right away. Contact information for the Customer Care Team is located in the Student Support area.
Review all materials in the Course Information area, as well as the materials contained under each of the weekly buttons.
Note: There are Optional Readings located within the Learning Resources section of each week in the course. You are encouraged to explore these readings, as needed, in order to enhance your understanding of the course content.
Preferred Methods for Delivering Assignments
Be sure that you post to the correct Discussion area each week. Do not e-mail postings to the Instructor. For all initial Discussion postings, make sure that the first sentence of your posting reads Main Question Post. For your responses to others’ response postings, make sure that the first sentence of your response reads Response. These actions will ensure easily identifiable subject lines for your postings and responses.
Application Assignments are submitted to the SafeAssign link and named according to the week in which the Assignment is submitted. Directions for naming each Application Assignment are included in each week’s Assignment area. Please be sure that all written Application Assignments are saved and submitted as a “.doc” file.
All e-mail correspondence must contain in the subject line “ABCD 1234-XX-NAME” (ABCD = course prefix, 1234 = course number, XX = section number) followed by a brief description of the subject. This subject line convention ensures that your e-mail will be easily identified and responded to in a timely manner. It is required that the e-mail contain a signature that matches the official name used in the course. NURS 6521: Advanced Pharmacology Course Syllabus
Late Assignment Policy
Students are expected to submit assignments by the due dates noted in the course. In extenuating circumstances, such as illness, the student must contact the Instructor as soon as possible to discuss the situation. In those circumstances, faculty will determine the appropriate course of action for the student. NURS 6521: Advanced Pharmacology Syllabus. Depending on the situation, these actions may include recommendations to drop the course (if within the University drop/withdrawal period), acceptance of some or all of the overdue assignments with or without penalties, or failure to accept assignments.
Assignments submitted late without prior agreement of the Instructor, outside of an emergency absence, or in violation of agreements for late submission, will receive a grade reduction for the assignment amounting up to 20%. After 5 days, the assignment will not be graded. Students should be aware that late assignments may not receive the same level of written feedback as do assignments submitted on time.
Keeping Your Coursework
You will have access to the course and your coursework from the course start date until 60 days after the course ends. After this time, you will no longer be able to access the course or related materials. For this reason, we strongly recommend that you retain copies of your completed assignments and any documents you wish to keep. The University is not responsible for lost or missing coursework.
Course Assessment
At or near the end of the course, you will receive an e-mail inviting you to submit an online Assessment of the course and instruction. All submitted course Assessments are confidential, and only aggregate data and comments will be shared with the Instructor and Program Director. Your feedback is vitally important to Walden University in its efforts to continuously improve programs.
Students With Disabilities
Students in this course who have a disability that might prevent them from fully demonstrating their abilities should contact the director of Disability Services at disability@mail.waldenu.edu or at 1-800-925-3368, ext. 312-1205 and +1-612-925-3368 or https://www.waldenu.edu/contact for international toll-free numbers as soon as possible to initiate disability verification and discuss accommodations that may be necessary to ensure full participation in the successful completion of course requirements.
Classroom Participation
In accordance with U.S. Department of Education guidance regarding class participation, Walden University requires that all students submit at least one of their required Week 1 assignments (which includes posting to the Discussion Board) within each course(s) during the first 7 calendar days of class NURS 6521: Advanced Pharmacology Course Syllabus. For courses with two-week units, posting to the Discussion Board by Day 7 meets this requirement. The first calendar day of class is the official start date of the course as posted on your myWalden academic page.
Assignments submitted prior to the official start date will not count toward your participation.
Financial Aid cannot be released without class participation as defined above.
Students who are taking their first class with Walden and do not submit at least one of their required Week 1 assignments (or at least one Discussion post) by the end of the 7th day will be administratively withdrawn from the university.
Students who have already taken and successfully completed at least one or more class(es) with Walden, and who do not participate within the first 7 days, will be dropped from that class.
If you have any questions about your assignments, or you are unable to complete your assignments, please contact your Faculty Member.
Checklist
The module course checklist below outlines the assignments due for the course.
For full assignment details and directions, refer to each module of the course. All assignments are due by 11:59 p.m. Mountain Time (MT) on the day assigned (which is 1:59 a.m. Eastern Time (ET) the next day). The time stamp in the classroom will reflect Eastern Time (ET), regardless of your time zone. As long as your submission time stamp is no later than 1:59 a.m. Eastern Time (ET), you have submitted on time.
To View the Calendar
To view the Course Calendar:
Course Calendar
To View a Printable Course Schedule
For full assignment details and directions, refer to each Module of the course.
Click on the NURS 6521 Course Schedule (PDF) link to access the Course Schedule.
Document: NURS 6521 Course Schedule (PDF)
Checklist
Week Assignment Title
Module 1: Foundational Concepts of Advanced Pharmacology
Week 1 Basic Pharmacotherapeutic Concepts/Ethical and Legal Aspects of Prescribing
Learning Resources Required Readings
Required Media
Discussion Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics
Assignment Ethical and Legal Implications of Prescribing Drugs
Module 2: Cardiovascular and Respiratory Systems
Week 2 Cardiovascular System
Learning Resources Required Readings
Required Media
Assignment Pharmacotherapy for Cardiovascular Disorders
Week 3 Respiratory System NURS 6521: Advanced Pharmacology Syllabus
Learning Resources Required Readings
Required Media
Assignment Asthma and Stepwise Management
Module 3: Gastrointestinal and Hepatobiliary Systems
Week 4 Gastrointestinal and Hepatobiliary Disorders
Learning Resources Required Readings
Required Media
Assignment Pharmacotherapy for Gastrointestinal and Hepatobiliary Disorders
Module 4: Endocrine System
Week 5 Endocrine System Disorders and the Treatment of Diabetes
Learning Resources Required Readings
Required Media
Discussion Diabetes and Drug Treatments
Module 5: Neurologic and Musculoskeletal Systems
Week 6 Neurologic and Musculoskeletal Disorders
Learning Resources Required Readings
Required Media
Assignment Decision Tree for Neurologic and Musculoskeletal Disorders (start)
Week 7 Midterm Exam
Midterm Exam
Module 6: Psychological Disorders
Week 8 Pharmacology for Psychological Disorders
Learning Resources Required Readings
Required Media
Discussion Decision Making When Treating Psychological Disorders
Assignment Decision Tree for Neurologic and Musculoskeletal Disorders (submit)
Module 7: Women’s and Men’s Health, Infections, and Hematologic Systems
Week 9 Women’s and Men’s Health
Learning Resources Required Readings
Required Media
Discussion Women’s and Men’s Health, Infectious Disease, and Hematologic Disorders
Week 10 Infections and Hematologic Systems
Learning Resources Required Readings
Required Media
Discussion Women’s and Men’s Health, Infectious Disease, and Hematologic Disorders
Module 8: Pediatrics NURS 6521: Advanced Pharmacology Syllabus
Week 11 Pediatrics
Learning Resources Required Readings
Required Media
Assignment Off-Label Drug Use in Pediatrics
Final Exam
Bibliography
The bibliography contains the references for all learning materials in the course. For your convenience, a link has been provided to download and save the bibliography. NURS 6521: Advanced Pharmacology Course Syllabus
