Focus on nursing pharmacology / Amy M. Karch ; Rebecca G. Tucker, contributing editor.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Part 1: Introduction to nursing pharmacology. Introduction to drugs -- Drugs and the body -- Toxic effect of drugs -- The nursing process in drug therapy and patient safety -- Dosage calculations -- Challenges to effective drug therapy.

Part 2: Chemotherapeutic agents. Introduction to cell physiology -- Antiinfective agents -- Antibiotics -- Antiviral agents -- Antifungal agents -- Antiprotozoal agents -- Anthelmintic agents -- Antineoplastic agents.

Part 3: Drugs acting on the immune system. Introduction to the immune response and inflammation -- Antiinflammatory, antiarthritis, and related agents -- Immune modulators -- Vaccine and sera.

Part 4: Drugs acting on the central and peripheral nervous systems. Introduction to nerves and the nervous system -- Anxiolytic and hypnotic agents -- Antidepressant agents -- Psychotherapeutic agents -- Antiseizure agents -- Antiparkinsonism agents -- Muscle relaxants -- Narcotics, narcotic antagonists, and antimigraine agents -- General and local anesthetic agents -- Neuromuscular junction blocking agents.

Part 5: Drugs acting on the autonomic nervous system. Introduction to the autonomic nervous system -- Adrenergic agonists -- Adrenergic antagonists -- Cholinergic agonists -- Anticholinergic agents.

Part 6: Drugs acting on the endocrine system. Introduction to the endocrine system -- Hypothalamic and pituitary agents -- Adrenocortical agents -- Thyroid and parathyroid agents -- Agents to control blood glucose levels.

Part 7: Drugs acting on the reproductive system. Introduction to the reproductive system -- Drugs affecting the female reproductive system -- Drugs affecting the male reproductive system.

Part 8: Drugs acting on the cardiovascular system. Introduction to the cardiovascular system -- Drugs affecting blood pressure -- Agents for treating heart failure -- Antiarrhythmic agents -- Antianginal agents -- Lipid-lowering agents -- Drugs affecting blood coagulation -- Drugs used to treat anemias.

Part 9: Drugs acting on the renal system. Introduction to the renal system -- Diuretic agents -- Drugs affecting the urinary tract and the bladder.

Part 10: Drugs acting on the respiratory system. Introduction to the respiratory system -- Drugs acting on the upper respiratory tract -- Drugs acting on the lower respiratory tract.

Part 11: Drugs acting on the gastrointestinal system. Introduction to the gastrointestinal system -- Drugs affecting gastrointestinal secretions -- Drugs affecting gastrointestinal motility -- Antiemetic agents.

"Focus on Nursing Pharmacology provides a concise, user-friendly, uncluttered text for today's student. This challenging subject is presented in a streamlined, understandable, teachable, and learnable manner. Amy Karch has found in her many years of teaching that students learn best when concepts are built upon one another, growing from simple to complex, building on a foundation of understanding"--