NUR231 Drug Therapy Assignment 3
Assessment Information:
*Please enter your responses in the sections of the template below.
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NUR231 Drug Therapy Assignment 3

NUR231 Drug Therapy Assignment 3

As a nurse, you will be required to interpret and use pharmacotherapeutic information and reliable clinical evidence to support your colleagues and patients in the quality use of medicines. You will interpret and use evidence to inform safe and comprehensive practice when designing professional focused and person-centred medication information.

A supplementary assessment receives only a pass or fail grade.

Part A: The goal is to provide professional focused information on a medication

NUR231 Drug Therapy Assignment 3

Consider the patient situation

Lynn Freeman is newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Lynn is 40 years old, weighs 92 kg and has little access to fresh fruit and vegetables. She cannot find time to exercise due to her work and childcare commitments as a single parent. She is of Aboriginal descent and lives with her three young children in Cherbourg. Over the last month, Lynn has been constantly fatigued and has been treated by her general practitioner for hypertension with metoprolol 25mg BD and recurrent vaginal infections with candida (treated with Miconazole cream).
Lynn is an inpatient in Cherbourg Hospital. She has been reviewed by an endocrinologist and is prescribed an oral hypoglycaemic agent of Gliclazide (Diamicron) 60mg MR at

NUR231 Drug Therapy Assignment 3

Criterion One: Application of pathophysiological concepts to justify clinical
decision-making

Collect cues/information:
1) As a nursing student, your clinical facilitator has allocated you the care of Lynn
after the morning handover. You are asked to explain the pathophysiology of type
2 diabetes to her. What is your response?
2) Your clinical facilitator tells you that Lynn has asked to manage her diabetes with
solely weight loss and exercise like her aunty who also has type 2 diabetes. What
is your response?

Responses: (Approx. 250 words)
1)
2)

Criterion Two: Application of pharmacotherapeutic concepts to explain safe
medication practice

Process information
Lynn is disappointed that the endocrinologist has prescribed an oral agent. Your clinical facilitator asks if you can explain to her how Lynn’s medication works to achieve glycaemic control.

  1. Explain the dosage, administration and common drug interactions of Gliclazide
    (Diamicron).
  2. Explain the actions, mechanisms and indications of Gliclazide (Diamicron) (see
    Bryant & Knights, 2019, p. 683 – 686).
    *See also MimsOnline 2022 Full Prescribing Information Gliclazide (Diamicron)

Responses: (Approx. 300 words)
1)
2)

Criterion Three: Evidenced-based argument and justification of decisions
Identify problems/issues

On your afternoon shift, you are accompanying the community nurse on a visit to
Lynn’s house to monitor her progress with Gliclazide (Diamicron). On questioning,
she states that she feels unwell. You take her blood glucose level (BGL) and find it
to be 3.0mmol/L.

  1. What are the registered nurse’s responsibilities relating to the Nursing and
    Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) Registered Nurse Standards for
    Practice in providing safe care to Lynn? Identify one standard and apply it
    to your responsibility in this situation.
  2. Identify two possible causes of her hypoglycaemia.

NUR231 Drug Therapy Assignment 3

NUR231 Drug Therapy Assignment 3

Take action

  1. What are the appropriate nursing actions after taking Lynn’s BGL? Give a rationale
    for the nursing actions.
  2. If Lynn appears to have altered consciousness, explain the nursing actions
    you would take and provide a rationale.

Responses: (Approx. 350 words)
1.
2.
3.
4.

Criterion Four: Application of social justice principles and the Quality Use of
Medicines when describing mechanisms of action, adverse effects, benefits, risks
and management of pharmacotherapy using person-centred approaches

Take time to educate:

  1. Lynn is struggling to come to terms with her diagnosis and the need to have an
    oral hypoglycaemic agent. What emotional and psychological support would you consider?
  2. What information would you give her about the long-term benefits of having
    Gliclazide (Diamicron) and closely monitoring her BGL?
  3. What information would you provide to Lynn about recognising the long-term
    effects of hyperglycaemia?
  4. What education would you provide regarding drug administration?
  5. Identify one aspect that you would have to consider in relation to social justice.
    How could this impact Lynn’s ongoing health needs? What solution might you offer to address this?
  6. What education would you give Lynn regarding her ongoing glycaemic control in relation to a) hypertension and b) exercise?

Responses: (Approx. 600 words)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6. (a) (b)

NUR231 Drug Therapy Assignment 3