| Course | NU141CL Pharmacology for Nursing Clinical |
|---|---|
| Unit | Unit 2 |
| Paper type | Medication worksheet |
| Length | About 620 words, 5 pages double-spaced |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Purdue University Global |
| Program | BSN (prelicensure) |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for NU141CL Unit 2
Why This Woman Gets Each Drug: A Medication Worksheet for a Composite 62-Year-Old Admitted With Pyelonephritis, Five Drugs Across Six Columns, With the Indication Column Doing the Most Work
[Student Name]
Purdue University Global
NU141CL: Pharmacology for Nursing Clinical
Unit 2 Medication Worksheet
[Instructor Name]
[Date]
The patient is composite; doses and values are bracketed where illustrative, and orders and facility references govern.
The Patient
Patient L, a composite 62-year-old woman, is introduced here using only a coded label, as clinical paperwork requires (Potter et al., 2023). She has type 2 diabetes and was admitted with fever, flank pain and vomiting from a kidney infection. Her temperature on admission was [39.2] C, her creatinine is [1.4] mg/dL, slightly above her usual, and her blood glucose is running [190] to [260] mg/dL. She is nauseated and eating little.
The Worksheet
1. Ceftriaxone [1] g IV every [24] hours. Class: third-generation cephalosporin antibiotic. Why she gets it: to treat the bacteria infecting her kidney, chosen to cover the organisms that usually cause pyelonephritis until her urine culture returns. Before giving: allergies, especially to penicillins or cephalosporins; IV site. After: rash, itching, diarrhea; fever curve over 48 to 72 hours. Teach: the antibiotic may change when the culture shows which bacteria are present.
2. Acetaminophen [650] mg orally, up to every [6] hours, PRN. Class: analgesic and antipyretic. Why she gets it: for fever and flank pain, avoiding anti-inflammatory drugs because her kidney function is reduced. Before giving: temperature and pain score; total acetaminophen from all sources in 24 hours. After: temperature and pain at [one] hour. Teach: do not take other products containing acetaminophen.
3. Ondansetron [4] mg IV up to every [8] hours if nauseated. Class: antiemetic. Why she gets it: her vomiting limits fluids and food. Before giving: nausea score; other drugs that affect the heart's rhythm. After: nausea at [30] to [60] minutes; constipation. Teach: tell the nurse if the nausea returns before the next dose.
4. Insulin lispro by correction scale with meals. Class: rapid-acting insulin, a high-alert drug (Institute for Safe Medication Practices, 2024). Why she gets it: infection and stress raise her glucose, and her home metformin is on hold. Before giving: glucose result and whether her meal tray has arrived and she can eat. After: glucose at the next check; signs of low glucose if she vomits after the dose. Teach: why her sugar is higher while she is sick.
5. Enoxaparin [40] mg subcutaneously daily. Class: low-molecular-weight heparin anticoagulant. Why she gets it: to prevent blood clots while she is mostly in bed. Before giving: platelet count, creatinine and bleeding signs. After: bruising at the site, blood in urine. Teach: why the injection is given in the abdomen and not rubbed afterward.
The metformin hold is written into the insulin row, because the reason she needs insulin is also the reason her usual pill was stopped.
Why the Indication Column Matters
For each drug, the reason is linked to something specific about her: her reduced kidney function explains acetaminophen instead of ibuprofen; her vomiting explains IV ondansetron; her held metformin and high glucose explain the correction insulin. If an order appeared that did not fit any of her problems, the indication column is where the nurse would notice. Writing reasons for this patient, rather than generic uses from a drug guide, is what turns the worksheet into a safety tool (Burchum & Rosenthal, 2022).
Questions for My Nurse
Is her metformin on hold because of the infection, her kidney function, or both, and when will it be restarted? Has the urine culture result come back? Is there a maximum total daily acetaminophen dose ordered for her?
References
Burchum, J. R., & Rosenthal, L. D. (2022). Lehne's pharmacology for nursing care (11th ed.). Elsevier.
Institute for Safe Medication Practices. (2024). ISMP list of high-alert medications in acute care settings. Institute for Safe Medication Practices.
Potter, P. A., Perry, A. G., Stockert, P. A., & Hall, A. M. (2023). Fundamentals of nursing (11th ed.). Elsevier.
The Purdue Global NU141CL Unit 2 instructions
Unit 2 usually asks for a worksheet covering each medication an assigned patient receives, organized in columns. Prompts commonly want the drug, dose and route, class, indication, nursing checks before administration, monitoring afterward and patient teaching. Faculty place most weight on the indication column: the reason this particular patient is receiving each drug, tied to her diagnosis, labs or history rather than copied from a drug guide. Checks should be specific, such as which lab to review, and monitoring should name what to look for and when. The worksheet should help the student notice an order that does not fit, so preparing questions for the nurse is part of good work.
How this NU141CL Unit 2 example is built
The worksheet begins with the patient: fever, flank pain, vomiting, a slightly raised creatinine and high glucose readings. Five numbered rows follow, each running across the six columns. Ceftriaxone covers likely organisms until culture results return. Acetaminophen is chosen because her kidney function rules out anti-inflammatories, with a check on total daily acetaminophen. Ondansetron addresses vomiting. Lispro covers stress hyperglycemia while metformin is held, with the highlighted line explaining why the hold is written into that row. Enoxaparin prevents clots. A section shows how each indication links to a chart finding, and three questions for the nurse close the worksheet. The rows are kept parallel so the same column can be read down all five drugs.
NU141CL Unit 2 rubric: what earns full points
Medication worksheets in NU 141CL tend to be graded on accuracy, the quality of indications, safety checks, and preparation for care. Accuracy covers correct class, dose and route for each drug. Indication quality is weighted heavily and rewards reasons tied to this patient's findings rather than general uses. Safety check points go to specific pre-dose assessments and labs, with high-alert drugs identified. Preparation earns credit when monitoring and teaching are specific and when the student lists questions to clarify with the nurse. A clean column layout and sources cited in APA 7 make the worksheet easy to grade and to use during the shift. A worksheet that would let the student explain every drug to the patient in a sentence shows real preparation.
NU141CL Unit 2 help: mistakes that cost points
Worksheets often fill the indication column with textbook uses, such as "treats infection," which could apply to any patient and would not help a nurse notice a wrong order. Another frequent gap is listing checks like "monitor vitals" without saying which value matters for that drug. Some worksheets forget held home medicines, though a hold often explains a new order. Many leave out teaching. Write each indication from the patient's chart, name the specific check before each drug, note any held home medicines and why, add monitoring with timing, write teaching in plain words, and finish with questions you need answered at report. Ask about anything that does not fit before the first dose.
Get an NU141CL Unit 2 example written to your instructions
Upload the blank worksheet your program uses, plus the Unit 2 rubric, and list your patient's medications in de-identified form if you want the rows to match. The model completes the reason, check and teaching columns, leaving every measured value as a bracket, since those readings exist only on the shift you worked. Free as a first custom sample, back in 24-48h. The paper above is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Purdue University Global document.
More NU141CL papers and BSN samples
- NU141CL Unit 1: Discussion Board Post
- NU141CL Unit 3: Administration Note
- NU141CL Unit 4: Route Comparison
- NU141CL Unit 5: Case Study Analysis
- NU141CL Unit 6: Patient Education Handout
- NU141CL Unit 7: Medication Reconciliation
- NU141CL Unit 8: Error Analysis
- NU141CL Unit 9: Post-conference Post
- NU141CL Unit 10: Final Case Presentation
- NU141 Unit 2: Drug Card
- NU140CL Unit 2: Clinical Prep Sheet
- NU140 Unit 2: Skills Documentation
- NU108 Unit 2: Role Profile
NU141CL Unit 2 questions, answered
Where can I find a free NU141CL Unit 2 sample paper?
You can read the complete NU141CL Unit 2 medication worksheet here, with five drugs across six columns for a patient with pyelonephritis, the reasoning behind each indication and questions for the nurse, citing three sources. Share your patient's medication list and we can draft a worksheet.
Why does the indication column matter most in NU141CL Unit 2?
Knowing why this patient receives each drug lets the nurse notice an order that does not fit. Generic uses copied from a drug guide cannot catch that kind of error.
Why acetaminophen instead of ibuprofen for this patient?
Her kidney function is reduced. Anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen can lower kidney blood flow further, so acetaminophen is used for her fever and flank pain, with a check on the total daily dose.
Why is her metformin held?
Acute illness with reduced kidney function and poor intake can make metformin unsafe for a time. Correction-scale insulin covers her raised glucose during the infection, which is why the hold appears in the insulin row.
What checks come before enoxaparin?
Platelet count, creatinine and signs of bleeding. Enoxaparin is cleared by the kidneys, and her slightly raised creatinine is a reason to confirm the dose with the pharmacist.