Integrated undergraduate nursing curriculum for pharmacology

Undergraduate pharmacology education for nurses has tended to follow one of two broad approaches, either specific courses in pharmacology or an integrated approach, where the pharmacology content is blended with other content. The School of Nursing at the University of Auckland selected an integrated approach to pharmacology education for nurses aligned with constructivist learning theory. The weaving of pharmacology through the three-year undergraduate curriculum is described, showing the development of a pharmacology curricula thread. The significance of supporting curricula content in areas such as communication skills, law and ethics, as well as sound biological science and physiology knowledge are highlighted. A sound understanding of pharmacology knowledge does not develop in isolation. Rather pharmacology education in the undergraduate nurse is the beginning of developing pharmacological reasoning and providing the skills for life-long learning in this ever changing subject.