(ALH 5230 - 3 credit hours)

Class Description
This course is designed to meet the pharmacology needs of students enrolled in nursing programs, pre-allied health majors and would be beneficial for others in the allied health field who desire a greater understanding of pharmacological principles and agents.

This class will cover the following topics: Foundations of Pharmacology, Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics, Drug Calculations, and Understanding the Pharmaceutical Agents by Classification.

This class was developed to meet the requirements for Pratt Community College’s nursing program that is being taught at the Cowley College Allied Health Center in Winfield. This class may meet the requirements for other nursing or allied health programs. However, this class may not fulfill the requirements for other nursing programs or other allied health programs -- students are advised to check transferability at their primary school.

Upon completion of the course, the student will develop competencies in the principles of pharmacology and have a greater understanding of medications in each of the pharmaceutical classification categories.

Location of Class
This class will primarily be taught in the online format with some offerings at one or more of the many Cowley locations. Instructors will have both an academic and clinical knowledge of pharmacology.

Online Learning
Many think, simply because a class is offered online, that it will be easier and will not require much work. This thought is somewhat inaccurate and we want all to know about the online learning environment. This challenging class will have reading assignments from a standard textbook. Students are then expected to enter the online class environment (at least five times each week) to actively participate in instructor-guided discussion, complete homework, quizzes, short papers, and examinations. This format provides an opportunity for discussion, instructor clarification of the reading (as needed) and a Socratic dialogue between all in the course.

There is no requirement for students to meet at the college if it is taught online.

The platform used by Cowley College for online classes is Angel. It is strongly advised that you complete the orientation for the class and become very familiar with Angel before the class formally begins.

If you are a dedicated and self-motivated student, this online format could be for you. If you tend to procrastinate, you may want to rethink taking this online pharmacology class. This is not an easy course -- expect to spend 10-15 hours each week learning pharmacology.

Availability
This class will be offered at least once a semester.

Entrance into Class
Anatomy and Physiology is required.

Healthcare Education Statement
The dominant accrediting body for healthcare organizations, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), mandated criminal record checks be performed on persons having any opportunity for patient interaction at its accredited hospitals. This

includes volunteers, faculty and EMS students. A criminal record check that reveals certain crimes could result in a situation where the EMS student cannot participate in clinical rotations at a healthcare facility. As such, this student could not successfully complete the class. At the present time, this policy will not affect students who take this class because they do not participate in clinicals at a hospital. For more information on background checks, click here.

For information on how to enroll online click here.