Applied Physical Health and Pharmacology in Children (MSc)

Learning Outcomes

Learning Outcomes

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Demonstrate knowledge, understanding and application of basic pharmacology to medicines management and administration in children and young people
• Identity, critique and apply the role of genetics in shaping health and illness in children and young people
• Apply knowledge of pathophysiological processes to explain the risk factors and clinical manifestations of disease in children and young people
• Apply knowledge and understanding of mechanisms of drug interactions and adverse drug reactions, including how individual variations can affects children and young people’s responses to medications
• Demonstrate the processes involved in developing disease and ill health, including pathological and aetiological factors that underpin the most common health presentations in children and young people

Processes of Developing Disease and Ill Health in Children and Young People: In this first theme, students will gain an overview of the common genetic, pathological, and aetiological factors underpinning the most common physical health presentations in children and young people. They will consider children across the age ranges from conception to adolescence. Students will consider risk factors and clinical manifestations of disease in children and young people. This will give students the opportunity to apply their knowledge to some of the most common conditions that are encountered in children’s nursing practice. Genetics: In this theme, students will be introduced to DNA and how it is organized to form the genome and how it is inherited. This will include understanding that the genome comprises all of the DNA within a cell, understanding the structure of the cell the cell cycle, and cell division, and where the genetic material is located. It will also provide an overview of chromosomes, and how they are composed of DNA where genes are arranged in a linear order and that the sequence of bases within the DNA contains instructions for the cell. The role of DNA sequence in regulation and protein synthesis will also be explored. The students will consider how genetics can influence health such as height and blood group for example. They will also consider the role of genomics in relation to diseases from diagnosis, causes, treatment and the use of medications in managing disease. They will consider genetic conditions in children such as Down’s Syndrome. Conditions the Students will consider throughout this module include: •Respiratory conditions (such as bronchiolitis, croup, asthma); •Cardiovascular conditions (such as congenital heart disease) •Hematology (such as sickle cell disease) •Neurological conditions (such as epilepsy, pain) •Liver conditions (such as jaundice) •Renal conditions (such as nephrotic syndrome, acute and chronic kidney conditions) •Skin conditions (such as eczema or urticaria) Pharmacology and Medicines Management: In this theme, students will gain the knowledge, understanding and application of general pharmacological principles that guide aspects of clinical practice and decision making. The knowledge of general principles gained include an awareness and understanding of the types of information available and where it is commonly accessed, such as the BNF, derived formularies, and other sources of information relating to safe of medication. It will also include the basic principles of absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion of drugs (i.e. pharmacokinetics) and the principles of how medicines exert their effect (i.e. pharmacodynamics). Students will develop knowledge of the complexities of administering medications to children and young people, for example calculating medications based on the weight of a child or young person. Students will gain an understanding and application of the pharmacology of medicines that are commonly administered to children and young people such as analgesics and anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics, medications to treat respiratory conditions such as Salbutamol, diuretics such as Frusemide, anticonvulsants, drugs to treat anaphylaxis and other allergy-based emergencies, general anesthetics, hypoglycemic agents, laxatives and local anesthetics. This theme will also cover the mechanisms of drug interactions and medicines optimization. Finally, this module will consider the principles of medicines management, including legal and ethical principles when administering medication to children and young people.

This module will be taught using a variety of learning and teaching approaches including: •Lectures •Seminars •Guided independent study

Formative

This is how we’ll give you feedback as you are learning. It is not a formal test or exam.

Formative self-marked practice exam

• Assessment Type: Formative
• Feedback:
• Final Assessment:
• Group Work: No

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.

Referral

This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.