Connecting nursing cohorts in authentic learning activities through a redesigned pharmacology curriculum

• Published in: Teaching and learning in nursing Vol. 20; no. 1; pp. e244 - e249
• Main Authors: Lee, Cik Yin, Miller, Charne, Bone, Elisa, Kusljic, Snezana
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Inc 01.01.2025
• Subjects: curriculum; education; nursing; Pharmacology; Pharmacology; nursing; education; curriculum
• ISSN: 1557-3087
• DOI: 10.1016/j.teln.2024.10.021

•Deficits in pharmacology knowledge are a common cause of medication errors among nurses, as pharmacology knowledge is often not integrated into medication management context in most of the nursing education programs.•Connecting nursing cohorts in authentic learning activities through a redesigned pharmacology curriculum may equip students with comprehensive pharmacology knowledge to meet 21st century nursing workforce needs.•An integrated authentic pharmacology curriculum may contribute to improved pharmacology knowledge and the role that nurses play in medication-related clinical practice and patient safety. Deficits in pharmacology knowledge are a common cause of medication errors among nurses. Building adequate understanding across cohorts that vary in their clinical and theoretical expertise can be challenging. A pharmacology subject redesign supported connections and knowledge transfer across multiple nursing cohorts and embedded authentic (real-world, relevant) learning activities to meet 21st century nursing workforce needs. Our revised curriculum with embedded scenario-based online modules, interactive learning activities, self-check assessments, case scenario group discussion in synchronous workshops, reflections on case study group discussion after the workshop and discussion boards, allows students to build their pharmacology knowledge within the context of medication management. Additional asynchronous elements supported peer-to-peer learning and knowledge exchange in the redesigned curriculum, whilst online modules foster students’ skills in authentic scenario-based learning relevant to their future clinical practice. Our revised curriculum was intended to enable multiple nursing cohorts to better build comprehensive pharmacology knowledge to inform their future clinical practice. Further work is required to evaluate the impact of this new curriculum design.