Nurse's Role in Drug Therapy

Pharmacology

Nurse's Role in Drug Therapy

Components of Core Drug Knowledge are:

1. pharmacotherapeutics -

2. pharmacokinetics – effect of body on drug

3. pharmacodynamics – process by which drugs alter cell physiology & affect body

4. contraindications & precautions – why not to give a drug

5. adverse effects

6. drug interactions

Nurse's Role in Drug Therapy

Components of core patient variables are:

1. health status (ie. kidney problems)

2. life span, gender

3. lifestyle, diet, and habits

4. environment

5. culture & inherited traits

Managing Drug Therapy Through the Nursing Process:

Assessment

1. assessment of core drug knowledge

   using a prototype drug (representative of a class of drugs) in Aschenbrenner book, red letter "P"

2. assessment of core patient variables

Core Patient Variables

sources of data

1. patient interview & history

2. physical examination

3. medical record

Sources of data

1. patient interview & history

   A. open-ended questions

   B. close-ended questions

2. questions are asked with regard to:

   A. Health status - "How has this affected you?"

   B. life span & gender

   C. lifestyle, diet, and habits

   D. environment

   E. culture & inherited traits