Preface

This adapted open-access Canadian Nursing Pharmacology textbook, was designed specifically for the entry-level undergraduate nursing student.  It is also applicable to other health disciplines for use. This textbook explores pharmacological concepts by showing the connections between pathophysiology, pharmacological principles, and  common medication classes. This textbook also provides learning tools to improve the students retention with quizzes, videos, concept maps, drug cards, and is organized using a concept based teaching approach.

Note that this textbook is not intended to be used as a drug reference book, but it does provide direct links to DailyMed, a trustworthy website that contains information about marketed drugs. Because information about medication is constantly changing, nurses should always consult evidence-based resources to review current recommendations before administering specific medication.

In 2021, this text was adapted by British Columbia Institute of Technology Nursing faculty, for general use across British Columbia, Canada, and other Canadian nursing programs to support nursing students’ understanding of the complex topic of pharmacology.

Online learning activities are provided in each chapter using the free H5P software platform (https://h5p.org/). This textbook has also been uploaded to LibreTexts (https://libretexts.org/) for easy remixing by faculty. The project is supported by a $2.5 million Open Resources for Nursing (Open RN) grant from the Department of Education and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. However, these contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government. More information about the Open RN grant can be found at: cvtc.edu/OpenRN

About this Book

Editors

The Canadian version of this textbook has been written and edited by:

• Amanda Egert, MSN, RN, CCSNE, CCNE,CCCI
• Kimberly Lee, MSN, RN, CCNE
• Manu Gill MSN, RN

This original book was edited by:

• Kimberly Ernstmeyer, MSN, RN, CNE, CHSE, APNP-BC
• Dr. Elizabeth Christman, DNP, RN, CNE 

Developing Authors

Developing authors remix existing open educational resources and build content from evidence-based sources that are aligned with the Wisconsin Technical College Nursing Curriculum.

• Dr. Elizabeth Christman, DNP, RN, CNE 
• Kim Ernstmeyer, MSN, RN, CNE, CHSE, APNP-BC, Chippewa Valley Technical College
• Chelsea Gonyer, MSN, RN, Chippewa Valley Technical College
• Dr. Julie Teeter, DNP, RN, CNE, Gateway Technical College
• Jamie Zwicky, MSN, RN, Moraine Park Technical College

Contributors

Contributors to the development of this OER textbook include educators, librarians, and staff from a variety of Wisconsin Technical Colleges:

• Nic Ashman, Librarian, Chippewa Valley Technical College
• Tara Basu, MSN, RN, Madison Area Technical College
• Emily Ernster, PharmD, Chippewa Valley Technical College
• Jane Flesher, MST, Proofreader, Chippewa Valley Technical College
• Bruce Foraciea, PhD, Anatomy and Physiology Instructor, Moraine Park Technical College
• Chelsea Gonyer, MSN, RN, Chippewa Valley Technical College
• Kim LaPlante, Research and  Library Services Manager, Northeast Technical College
• Vince Mussehl, Open RN Lead Librarian, Chippewa Valley Technical College
• Joshua Myers,  Web Developer, Chippewa Valley Technical College
• Barbara Peters, MSN, RN, Northeast Technical College
• Gail Powers-Schaub, Librarian, Madison Area Technical College
• Rorey Pritchard, EdS, MEd, MSN, RN-BC, CNOR(E), CNE, Senior RN Clinical Educator, Allevant Solutions, LLC
• Lauren Richards,  Graphic Designer, Chippewa Valley Technical College
• Dominic Slauson, Technology Professional Developer, Chippewa Valley Technical College
• Lee Wagner, Librarian, Gateway Technical College

Advisory Committee

The Open RN Advisory Committee, which includes industry members, nursing associate deans, and nursing students, provided input to this book:

• Jenny Bauer, MSN, RN, NPD-BC, Mayo Clinic Health System Northwest Wisconsin, Eau Claire, WI
• Angela Branum, Western Wisconsin Health
• Lisa Cannestra, Eastern Wisconsin Healthcare Alliance
• Travis Christman, MSN, RN, HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital
• Sheri Johnson, UW Population Health Institute
• Vicki Hulback, DNP, RN, Gateway Dean of Nursing
• Megan Kimber, CVTC Grants Specialist
• Brian Krogh, MSN, RN, NWTC Associate Dean – Health Sciences
• Pam Maxwell, SSM Health
• Mari Kay-Nobozny, NW Wisconsin Workforce Development Board
• Ernise Watson, PhD, RN, MATC Associate Dean – Nursing
• Sherry Willems, HSHS St. Vincent Hospital
• Kristen Bowman & Amanda Swope, CVTC Nursing Students and Student Nurse Club Leaders

Peer Review

The Peer Reviewer process was completed in February-March 2020 by the following reviewers:

• LaRae Alcidor, Instructional Designer, San Jacinto College, LaPorte, TX
• Sarah Babini,  MSN, RN, Grossmont Community College Nursing, El Cajon, CA
• Jenny M. Bauer, MSN, RN, NPD-BC, Mayo Clinic Health System Northwest Wisconsin, Eau Claire, WI
• Gina Bloczynski, MSN, RN, Chippewa Valley Technical College, Eau Claire, WI
• Nancy Bonard, MSN, RN-BC, St. Joseph’s College of Maine, Standish, ME
• Joan Buckley, PhD, RN, Nassau Community College, Garden City, NY
• Travis Christman, MSN, RN, HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital, Eau Claire, WI
• Dr. Catina Davis, DNP, MSN, RN, Tidewater Community College, Portsmouth, VA
• Dr. Andrea Dobogai, DNP, RN, Moraine Park Technical College, Fond du Lac, WI
• Dr. Rachael Farrell, EdD, RN, CNE, Howard Community College, Columbia, MD
• Samantha Fisher, MSN, RN,  Lakeshore Technical College, Cleveland, WI
• Dr. Jaime Hannans, PhD, RN, CNE, California State University Channel Islands, Camarillo, CA
• Camille Hernandez, MSN, APRN, ACNP, FNP, Hawaii Community College, Hilo, HI
• Jenna Julson, MSN, RN, NPD-BC, Mayo Clinic Health System Northwest Wisconsin, Eau Claire, WI
• Dr. Andrew D. Kehl, DNP, MSN, MPH, APRN, RN, FNP-BC, CCRN, NRP, Vermont Technical College, Randolph Center, VT
• Tamella Livingood, MSN, FNP-BC, Northwestern Michigan College, Traverse City, MI
• Dr. Jennifer Lucas, PharmD, Gateway Technical College, Elkhorn, WI
• Dawn M. Lyon, MSN, RN, St. Clair County Community College, Port Huron, MI
• Sandra Moorman, MSN, RN, Frederick Community College, Frederick, MD
• Jody Myhre-Oechsle, MS, CPhT, Chippewa Valley Technical College, Eau Claire, WI
• Angela Ngo-Bigge, MSN, FNP-C, Grossmont College, El Cajon, CA
• Dr. Colleen Nevins, DNP, RN, CNE, California State University Channel Islands, Camarillo, CA
• Dr. Stacey Nseir, PhD, RN, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
• Dr. Amy I. Olson, DNP, RN, Mayo Clinic Health System, Eau Claire, WI
• Marcia M. Osborne, MSN, FNP B-C, APNP, Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, Green Bay, WI
• Dr. Grace Paul, DNP, MPhil, MSN, RN, CNE, Glendale Community College, Glendale, AZ
• Cassandra Porter, MSN, RN, Lake Land College, Mattoon, IL
• Amber J. Price, MSN-Ed, RN, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
• Dr. Regina Prusinski, DNP, APRN, Otterbein University, Westerville, OH
• Dr. Debbie Rickeard, DNP, MSN, BscN, BA, RN, CNE, CCRN, University of Windsor, Ontario, Canada
• Kelly Wenzel, MSN, RN, Chippewa Valley Technical College, River Falls, WI
• Vanora Taylor Wilmott,  MSN, RN, CWCN,  Lyme, NH, Vermont Technical College

Request to Those Using This Resource: Usage Survey

We would love to hear if you have integrated some or all of this resource into your course. Please submit usage information every semester for grant reporting purposes using this short survey.  Your personal information will be kept private and only the usage data will be shared with the Department of Education.

Customization/Terms of Use

This textbook is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC-BY) license unless otherwise indicated, which means that you are free to:

• SHARE – copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format
• ADAPT – remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially

Licensing Terms

The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms.

• Attribution: You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if any changes were made.  You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
• No Additional Restrictions: You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
• Notice: You do not have to comply with the license for elements of the material in the public domain or where your use is permitted by an applicable exception or limitation.
• No Warranties are Given: The license may not give you all of the permissions necessary for your intended use.  For example, other rights such as publicity, privacy, or moral rights may limit how you use the material.

Attribution

Some of the content for this textbook was adapted from the following open educational resources. For specific reference information about what was used and/or changed in this adaptation, please refer to the footnotes at the bottom of each page of the book.

• Anatomy and Physiology by OpenStax is licensed under CC BY 4.0.
• Daily Med by U.S. National Library of Medicine is available in the public domain.
• Digesting Food by Stanford School of Medicine and Khan Academy is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0.
• Medication Safety in High Risk Situations by World Health Organization is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0.
• Medication Safety in Polypharmacy by World Health Organization is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0.
• Medication Safety in Transition of Care by World Health Organization is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0.
• Medicines by Design by US Department of Health and Human Services, National Institute of Health, National Institute of General Medical Sciences is licensed under CC BY 4.0.
• Microbiology by Open Stax is licensed under CC BY 4.0.
• Pharmacology Notes: Nursing Implications for Clinical Practice by Gloria Velarde is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
• Principles of Pharmacology by LibreTexts is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
• The Scholarship of Writing in Nursing Education (1st Canadian Edition) is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
• Supporting Individuals with Intellectual Disability & Mental illness by Sheri Melrose is licensed under CC BY 4.0.

Suggested Attribution Statement for this Book

Content that is not taken from the above OER should include the following attribution statement:

Nursing Pharmacology – 1st Canadian Edition by Amanda Egert, Manu Gill and Kimberly Lee is licensed under CC BY 4.0, except where otherwise noted. This textbook was adapted from Nursing Pharmacology by Chippewa Valley Technical College which is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

References

This Preface chapter is a derivative of The Scholarship of Writing in Nursing Education, 1st Canadian Edition licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.