NUR1112 · Fundamental Skills and Knowledge for Nursing and Midwifery Practice 1
Pharmacology & Safe Medication Administration
Week 11 covers the foundations of pharmacology (pharmacokinetics — absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion; and pharmacodynamics — how drugs act) and safe medication administration: the Rights of medication administration, reading a medication order, the medication scheduling system, and basic drug calculations. The oral drug-dose formula is a high-value calculation, and medication safety is examined through the IntelliLearn certificate and the combined exam.
What this chapter covers
- 01Pharmacology = the study of drugs; pharmacodynamics (what a drug does to the body) vs pharmacokinetics (ADME: absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion)
- 02The Rights of medication administration (the '8 Rights' — enumerate only against the unit's own list; confirm on Moodle)
- 03Reading a valid medication order on the national inpatient medication chart; responding to a medication error
- 04The Australian Medication Scheduling System (Poisons Standard): S8 controlled drug (e.g. morphine), S4, S3, S2
- 05Common prescribing abbreviations: BD, TDS, QID, PRN, Inh, Neb, MDI
- 06Reference sources for drugs: MIMS and the Australian Medicines Handbook (AMH)
- 07The oral drug-dose formula: Volume = (Dose required ÷ Stock strength) × Stock volume
Oral drug-dose calculation with a unit conversion
- +1Convert the ordered dose into the stock's unit. The stock is in milligrams (250 mg/mL) but the order is in grams: 1.35 g × 1000 = 1350 mg.
- +1Substitute into the formula with a stock volume of 1 mL: Volume = (1350 mg ÷ 250 mg/mL) × 1 mL.
- +1Divide: 1350 ÷ 250 = 5.4, so the volume to administer is 5.4 mL. Forgetting the g → mg conversion gives the wrong answer 54 mL — a tenfold error.
Key terms
- Pharmacokinetics
- What the body does to a drug — its absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion (ADME).
- Pharmacodynamics
- What a drug does to the body — its mechanism, actions and effects on physiological systems (including agonist and antagonist actions).
- The Rights of medication administration
- The safety checks nurses apply before giving a medication (commonly listed as 8 Rights — e.g. right patient, drug, dose, route, time, documentation, reason, response). Enumerate them only against the unit's own list; confirm on Moodle.
- Medication scheduling (Poisons Standard)
- The Australian system classifying medicines by control level: Schedule 8 (controlled drug, e.g. morphine), Schedule 4 (prescription only), Schedule 3 (pharmacist only), Schedule 2 (pharmacy medicine).
- Prescribing abbreviations
- Standard order abbreviations: BD (twice daily), TDS (three times daily), QID (four times daily), PRN (as required), plus route/device terms Inh, Neb and MDI.
- Drug-dose formula
- Volume to administer = (Dose required ÷ Stock strength) × Stock volume; the ordered dose and stock strength must be in the same unit before dividing.
Pharmacology & Safe Medication Administration FAQ
What is the drug-dose formula and where do students slip?
Volume to administer = (Dose required ÷ Stock strength) × Stock volume. The single most common error is a unit mismatch: if the order is in grams and the stock is in milligrams, you must convert first (e.g. 1.35 g = 1350 mg). Skipping that conversion produces answers that are out by a factor of ten — a serious safety error. Always match units, then divide, then sanity-check the volume.
What are the '8 Rights' of medication administration?
They are the safety checks performed before giving a medication, commonly listed as right patient, drug, dose, route, time, documentation, reason and response. The available unit material teaches that students must identify the 8 Rights but does not enumerate them in prose, so learn the exact list from the unit's own material and confirm it on Moodle rather than relying on a generic version.
What is the difference between pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics?
Pharmacokinetics is what the body does to the drug — absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion (ADME). Pharmacodynamics is what the drug does to the body — its mechanism and effects, including agonist and antagonist actions. Learning outcome 6 asks you to outline both as the basis for safe medication administration.
Can Sia help me with drug calculations and medication safety?
Yes — Sia can set fresh dose calculations and check each conversion and division step, explain the medication scheduling system, or quiz you on the Rights and prescribing abbreviations. It teaches the method and checks your reasoning; it does not complete your IntelliLearn certificate or graded work for you, and academic-integrity rules apply.
Exam move
Make the drug-dose formula bomb-proof: always convert the order and the stock to the same unit first, then divide, then sanity-check the volume — the g → mg conversion is where marks and safety are lost. Learn the medication scheduling system (S8 down to S2 with the grounded examples), the common prescribing abbreviations, and the Rights of medication administration from the unit's own list. Get the IntelliLearn Medication certificate done for the Portfolio. Ask Sia to drill dose calculations until every conversion is automatic.
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