Pharmacology Basics & Safe Medication Administration

The types of blood products and infusion times for each of these products. Best practices for blood transfusions and the different types of blood transfusion reactions (mild allergic, anaphylactic, febrile, septic, acute hemolytic, and circulatory overload). The nursing care of blood transfusion reactions in general, along with specific interventions for the different types of reactions.

The following IV complications: phlebitis, infiltration, extravasation, catheter embolus, and fluid overload. The symptoms and nursing care of each complication.

The intravenous (IV) route for medication administration. Best practices for insertion of an IV, nursing care of the IV, and medication administration through the IV. Covers Central Venous Catheters (CVCs), including the types of CVCs and nursing care of CVCs.

Preparation of an injection from an ampule and from a vial. Key points regarding intradermal, subcutaneous, and intramuscular routes of medication. Covers best practices regarding insulin administration and goes through the steps of mixing insulins.

Best practices for administering medications via the following routes: oral, NG-tube or G-tube, sublingual or buccal, transdermal, inhalation (metered dose inhaler or dry powder inhaler), optic, and otic.

Get the key facts about the concept of therapeutic index and what it means if a medication has a high or low therapeutic index. Learn about the half-life and the mode of action of medications. We'll cover agonists, antagonists, and agonist-antagonists (or partial agonists).

Learn all about the four phases of pharmacokinetics: absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion; plus, learn what affects each of these phases.

The types of prescriptions: time-critical scheduled medications, non-time-critical scheduled medications, one-time orders, Stat orders, PRN orders, and standing orders; components of a prescription and best practices for telephone orders; error-prone abbreviations, rights of safe medication administration, and best practices for medication administration.

Learn all about drug names, including the chemical name, generic name, and brand name of a medication; medication regulation, including the US drug schedule and drug risk classification in pregnancy; the process of medication reconciliation and the potential for interactions with herbal supplements.