Nursing Pharmacology

Reviewed by Wanda Dooley, Director of Nursing, Coastal Carolina University on 8/18/20

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

The text is comprehensive and at an appropriate level for pre-licensure students. The glossary is excellent, as is the Table of Contents.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The text is mostly free of bias or errors and is up-to-date and accurate. I wondered why only the Wisconsin Nurse Practice Act was spelled out in detail, but perhaps this text is only planned for use in Wisconsin? A more general section on the Nurse Practice Act, which is different in every state, but meets the same purpose in every state, would make the text available to a broader audience. Also, in the section on peak and trough blood levels, the text said the peak level is drawn at the time the drug is administered. That is not usually the case for most drugs. Most peak levels are drawn 30 to 60 minutes AFTER administration, so that is an error that should be corrected in the next edition. Another phrase that is widely used, but not actually accurate, is the phrase "placental barrier". The placenta is not a true barrier and lets almost everything through in some level - sometimes the same blood level the mother has, so too high a level for a fetus or neonate. While pregnancy needs to be considered in medication administration, if a student learns the placenta is a barrier in their first semester, it is hard to reteach later that unlike the blood-brain barrier, the placenta is an organ, not a barrier. Students should know that every drug will have a pregnancy category listed in the prescribing information, so that could be addressed without labeling the placenta as a barrier.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

Content is up-to-date, but not in a way that will quickly make the text obsolete within a short period of time. The text is written and/or arranged in such a way that necessary updates will be relatively easy and straightforward to implement.

Clarity rating: 5

The text is well written and clear, and provides adequate context and/or explanations for any jargon/technical terminology used.

Consistency rating: 5

The text is internally consistent in terms of terminology and framework. The inclusion of the glossary is a great addition.

Modularity rating: 5

The text is easily divided into smaller reading sections that can be assigned at different points within the course. The text is not overly self-referential and can be easily reorganized and realigned with various subunits of a course without presenting much disruption to the reader.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The topics in the text are presented in a logical, clear fashion. The overview of the cardiac system and the coagulation cascade might be a bit much for novice students.

Interface rating: 5

The text is free of navigation problems, distortion of images/charts, and any other display features that may distract or confuse the reader. It offers a clear and straightforward read.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

The text contains no grammatical errors. A discussion of parenteral injections had an oddly worded sentence: "For example, injections are often painful and cause a break in the skin, an important barrier to infection." To students with lower literacy levels or for whom English is a second language, that sounds like the break in the skin is an important barrier to infection - which is backwards. Perhaps: The skin is an important barrier to infection, and injections, which can be painful, also break that barrier. Again, one sentence is easily addressed, so not a deterrent to using this textbook.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

The text is not culturally insensitive or offensive in any way. It makes use of examples that are inclusive of a variety of races, ethnicities, and backgrounds. The section on ethics is a great addition to culturally sensitive nursing care.

Comments

This is an excellent introductory text. I think it could be enhanced near the end by adding a description of the two main methods of administering naloxone. The drug is discussed, but the text does not state how it can be administered. The section on Wisconsin law and the Wisconsin NPA is a little odd in a general textbook, but if specific state law has to be included for some reason, faculty can easily lead a discussion on the NPA in the state the course is taught in, as that is likely the state where pre-licensure students would administer medications in a clinical practice setting.