Continuing Education

Psychopharmacologic Mgmt for Advanced Practice Nurses

(36 Pharmacology hours for APNs / 30 contact hours CE Credit)

A basic comprehension of chemical neurotransmission and neurotransmitter systems 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 drug adverse effects will be explored. Safety in prescribing psychotropics and ethical considerations as well as methods of evaluating psychiatric drug information will be presented.

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.

Objectives

Describe the architecture of receptor-mediated chemical neurotransmission.
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)
Apply new information to existing patient care problems through consultation process with peers.
Identify safety and ethical issues of prescribing psychotropic drugs.
Detail of Course Modules and Objectives

Course Enrollment

This course is open entry and can be completed at any time.

CE Credit

Those successfully completing the workshop will be awarded 30 contact hours. 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 36 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

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

The cost of the course is $300 and can be paid by credit card, check, or money order.

Textbooks

These textbooks are recommended to help you complete the course work. Textbooks can be ordered through online book stores such as Amazon.com, Textbooks.com, Barnes and Noble.com or Bookfinder.com.

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

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 free access to the NEI Website for one year (normally a $250 value). You must complete an NEI Application form and return to Beverly Bowers who will fax it to NEI to verify your student status so you can gain free access. Upon verification you will be required to register online to enter the NEI site.

Contact Us

For more information contact the OU College of Nursing Continuing Education Department at (405) 271-2062 ext 49180.

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