Pharmacology in the elderly - what nurses need to know

Abstract

The title of this paper assumes that a formula exists for the nurse educator in relation to the therapeutic knowledge required by students of nursing. Perhaps the first question to be asked is 'What is Nursing?' -a statement which has led to many academic debates over the past few decades. The earliest definition on Nursing quoted in modern literature comes from Ceylon in the 2nd - 3rd century B.C. At this time Nurses were obviously expected to compound drugs as part of their many and varied duties, it states:- 'The nurse must be clever, devoted to the patient and be pure in body and mind, must know how to compound drugs, be competent to cook food, skilled in bathing the patient, conversant with rubbing the limbs and massage, with lifting the patient and assisting him to walk about, well skilled in making and cleaning beds, ready, patient and skilful, never unwilling to do anything that is ordered.'