Continuing Education

Clinical Application of Psychopharmcological Agents

(15 contact hours/18 pharmacology hours)

This course covers clinical-related content from the Psychopharmacologic Management for Advance Practice Nurses course. This course will enable the advanced practice nurse to understand the pharmacological basis for drug action in the prevention of illness, restoration, and maintenance of health in advanced practice psychiatric and mental health nursing. The challenges of drug interactions and adverse drug effects will be explored. Safety in prescribing psychotropics and methods of evaluating psychiatric drug information will be presented. This course is appropriate for advanced practice nurses (CNS or NPs) who prescribe psychiatric medications.

Purpose

This course is designed for Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses. Content is aimed at Psychiatric Clinical Nurse Specialists and Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners. This course is appropriate for any Advanced Practice Registered Nurse who prescribes psychiatric medications to gain a more thorough understanding of psychotropic drugs. Nurses wishing to take this course for purposes of prescriptive authority are reminded that any pharmacotherapeutic course for continuing education credit must be relevant to their scope of practice. The Oklahoma Board of Nursing has approved this course for 18 contact hours in pharmacology for Advanced Practice Nurses.

Objectives

Describe the neurotransmitter systems that provide the pharmacological basis for drug action in the prevention of illness, restoration, and maintenance of health in advanced practice psychiatric and mental health nursing
Describe the neurotransmitter systems that reinforce substances of abuse
Discuss interactions and adverse reactions of different classes of psychotropic drugs
Discuss special considerations of psychotropic drugs for special populations (i.e., Alzheimer’s or pediatric patients).
Detail of Course Modules and Objectives

Course Enrollment

This is a web based instructor led course. The course is open entry so you can start when you are ready.

CE Credit

Those successfully completing the course will be awarded 15.0 contact hours of continuing education credit (based on 60 minutes per contact hour). The University of Oklahoma College of Nursing is an approved provider of continuing nursing education by the Colorado Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation.

This course has been approved from the Oklahoma Board of Nursing for 18 Pharmacology Contact hours (based on 50 minutes per contact hour) for Adult or Family Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse Practitioners and Clinical Nurse Specialists certified in Adult or Child and Adolescent Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing. Other advanced practice nurses may be able to submit the hours earned in this course for a portion of their prescriptive authority continuing education, if the course content is relevant to their scope of practice.

Registration and Pricing

To register online click here or you can contact the University of Oklahoma Continuing Education Department at 405-271-2062.

The cost of the course is $150 per person and can be paid by credit card, check, or money order.

Textbooks

Textbook Information (these can be ordered through online book stores such as Amazon.com or Textbooks.com or Barnes and Noble.com or Bookfinder.com )

Stahl, Stephen. M. (2000). Essential Psychopharmacology: Neuroscientific Basis and Practical Applications (2nd Ed.) Cambridge: University Press. ISBN 0521646154 or 9780521646154
Kaplan, H.I., & Sadock, B.J., (2005). Pocket Handbook of Psychiatric Drug Treatment (4th edition). Philadelphia: Lippincott. ISBN 0781762154

You will be directed to materials in the Neuroscience Education Institute web site at http://www.neiglobal.com/. As a student in this course you will have access to the NEI Website as a student for one year for free (normally a $250 value). You must complete an NEI Application form and return to Sandra McConnell who will fax it to NEI to verify your student status so you can gain free access. You will have to register online to enter the site.

Contact Us

For more information contact the OU College of Nursing Continuing Education Department Secretary, Sandra McConnell at (405) 271-2062.

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