This text presents a totally nursing-focused framework for teaching and learning nursing pharmacology, and "places the patient" at the center of all drug and drug administration decisions and considerations. The book presents core drug knowledge using prototypes of different drug classes and emphasizes core patient variables that influence the patient's response to therapy. Features include abundant review questions, concept maps, drug summary tables, drug interaction tables, and critical thinking scenarios that teach students how to apply pharmacology knowledge to patient care.

This thoroughly updated Third Edition covers newly approved drugs, has separate chapters on drugs affecting fungal and viral infections, and includes more pathophysiology information. Black Box warnings from the FDA labels have been added to the discussion of each prototype when applicable, and safety alerts have been added to emphasize prevention of common medication errors.

A companion Website offers student and instructor ancillaries including NCLEX®-style chapter review questions, pathophysiology animations, medication administration videos, and dosage calculation quizzes.