Introducing Pharmacology: For Nursing and Healthcare

by Roger McFadden

Overview

This third edition of Introducing Pharmacology provides an accessible and engaging introduction to the subject of pharmacology for nursing and healthcare students – and anyone needing to refresh their knowledge of this important area.

The third edition recognises that many nursing and healthcare courses are now requiring students to engage with the subject of pharmacology at a higher level. Accordingly, this edition has been reinforced with more advanced pharmacology that will help these students, but without losing the clarity and accessibility of earlier editions.

This popular text includes:

• Clear explanations of how drugs work in the human body

• The underlying physiology and pathophysiology necessary for an understanding of the action of drugs

• Coverage of the common drug groups that nurses and other healthcare professionals are likely to encounter in practice

• Case-studies, relating pharmacological theory to clinical practice

• An extensive glossary of key terms and definitions

New to this edition:

• A new ‘beyond the basics’ feature, providing a deeper explanation of the mechanism of action of key drugs, supporting students studying at a more advanced level
• A new section covering drugs for the treatment of nausea and labyrinthine disorders
• An expanded chapter on drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics
• Enhanced and more detailed illustrations
• Updated content that reflects latest guidelines and recently licensed drugs

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781351001380
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	04/18/2019
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	430
File size:	17 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Roger McFadden is a senior lecturer in the Faculty of Health, Education and Life Sciences at Birmingham City University (BCU). Now semi-retired, Roger has spent many years teaching pharmacology to nurses and students from allied health professions. He helped develop BCU’s acclaimed Non-medical Prescribing course that has trained many hundreds of nurses to become independent prescribers.

Table of Contents

Part 1: Principles of pharmacology 1. Let’s start at basics: cells and how they work 2. Protein targets for drugs 3. Side-effects, interactions and pharmacokinetics Part 2: The major drug groups 4. The cardiovascular system (1): drugs used in the management of coronary artery disease 5. The cardiovascular system (2): hypertension and antihypertensive drugs 6. Pain and its management 7. Disorders and drugs of the digestive system 8. Infection and antimicrobial drugs (bugs and drugs) 9. Disorders and drugs of the respiratory system 10. Disorders and drugs of the endocrine system 11. Mental health and neurological disorders 12. Cancer and anti-cancer drugs

Editorial Reviews

Reviewer: Carol E Agana, MNSc, RNP, APRN (University of Arkansas)
Description: Although "introducing pharmacology" is part of the title of this book, the preface states that it addresses more advanced concepts for master's level nurses. This book covers the physiology of pharmacology from basic to complex and mentions only a few generic drugs that treat a specific health problem. It is unique because it is intended for U.K. healthcare personnel including nurses and midlevel providers.
Purpose: The purpose, according to the author, is to introduce pharmacology to nursing and healthcare students and anyone else who needs to refresh their knowledge. It is a higher-level book that covers the physiology of pharmacology. The objectives are worthy for master's level students. The book should address nursing interventions more than it does to be useful as an undergraduate nursing book.
Audience: The book is intended for nursing and healthcare students, and the author mentions that it is appropriate for master's level students. If the book is intended for undergraduate nursing education, then it is lacking in nursing interventions and discussion of potential untoward outcomes of patients taking the medications. This book, if marketed in the U.S., is appropriate only for master's level students. The author is a semiretired senior lecturer at a U.K. university.
Features: This book covers pharmacokinetics, pharmacotherapeutics, and pharmacodynamics using a systems approach. It covers complex concepts, not for undergraduate nursing students. The book is clearly written and easy to understand and focuses on the science of the mechanism of action of medications. The unique aspects of the presentation of information includes case studies and clinical practice insights.
Assessment: I don't see this book being used in the U.S. because of the use of different names of drugs in the U.K. For example, under anti-anginal medications it mentions GNT, which is referred to in the U.S. as NTG. Another example is, in the U.S., Tylenol is acetaminophen. This book does not use trade names and acetaminophen is paracetamol in the U.K. This could be confusing to learners in the U.S. Finally, a pharmacology book aimed at nurses should mention some nursing interventions.

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