The main reason that a nursing student is required to take a clinical pharmacology course is to learn the way drugs act in the human system and how to classify medications. This is a important skill for a medical professional that will be in charge of medicating patients.
Clinical pharmacology is a course that deals with a great deal of subject matter. The class will touch upon many subjects including the various physiological systems and how certain drugs act upon them. In addition to taking an internal look at how drugs affect humans, there will also be an emphasis on the vocabulary and terminology of medications.
Clinical pharmacology is a course that entails a great deal of information and will require a nursing student to absorb much information. The course is generally broken down into two semesters in order to give the students time to absorb the large amount of information that is being taught them.
Learning clinical pharmacology may seem to be a daunting task, but there are many benefits that come with knowledge about drugs. Nurses will gain a thorough understanding about the internal and external actions of drugs and medications. A medical professional will be able to identify symptoms of an overdose or recognize the signs of an adverse reaction.
Most clinical pharmacology courses are in accordance with a nursing program and the student will have to adhere to strict standards regarding grades and attendance. This will be presented during the first day of classes and is often outlined in a syllabus. In general, a student will have to maintain a grade of C or better in order to pass the course.