NU 636 Unit 8 DQ 1: analysing the course objectives
For each of the four course learning objectives, analyse how the course supported that objective, then explain how the material learned will apply to your professional practice, with citations and references in APA format.
Editorial process
Last reviewed · August 14, 2026
Analysis of the course, objective by objective
This is a reflection with an unusual demand attached: it asks for analysis, and it asks for citations. Both are easy to lose. Analysis here means naming what in the course actually supported each objective — a specific module, a case, a drug class you worked through, a discussion that changed how you prescribe — rather than asserting that the objective was met. Take the objectives one at a time and treat each as a heading. Discriminating among mechanisms of action wants you to name classes and say what distinguishes them at the receptor or enzyme level. Critiquing the evidence behind pharmacotherapeutic protocols across the lifespan wants a protocol you actually appraised and the age-related pharmacokinetic differences that made it fit or not fit. Integrating teaching-learning needs wants a patient encounter, and proposing prescriptive therapies wants a case where safety, current health status, age, culture, genetics, ethics and your prescriptive authority all bore on one decision.
The citation requirement is what most posts in this format drop, because a reflection feels like a place for opinion. It is not, here: every claim about pharmacology needs a source, so pair each objective with one reference that supports the pharmacological content you are describing rather than the experience of learning it. The last question — how the material applies to professional application — should be specific to your role and setting. If you prescribe, say what you will do differently at the point of prescribing; if you do not yet, name the decisions this material has prepared you for. The fourth objective is the longest and the most fruitful because it names seven factors at once, so a single worked case that touches several of them will carry more weight than a paragraph restating the objective in slightly different words, which is what a rushed post does.
Likely learning objectives
Inferred from the brief — check these against your own rubric.
- 01Discriminate among the mechanisms of action of the major drug classes.
- 02Critique the evidence behind pharmacotherapeutic protocols across the lifespan.
- 03Integrate patients' teaching-learning needs when proposing pharmacotherapy.
- 04Propose prescriptive therapy weighing safety, age, culture, genetics and ethics.
- 05Relate course learning to your own professional practice.
Read the full question
Review every instruction before using the planning guidance that follows.
Course-wide instructions that accompany this question
ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE CLASS Discussion Questions (DQ) Initial responses to the DQ should address all components of the questions asked, include a minimum of one scholarly source, and be at least 250 words. Successful responses are substantive (i.e., add something new to the discussion, engage others in the discussion, well-developed idea) and include at least one scholarly source. Herzing NU 636 Unit 8 DQ 1 One or two sentence responses, simple statements of agreement or “good post,” and responses that are off-topic will not count as substantive. Substantive responses should be at least 150 words. I encourage you to incorporate the readings from the week (as applicable) into your responses. Weekly Participation Your initial responses to the mandatory DQ do not count toward participation and are graded separately. In addition to the DQ responses, you must post at least one reply to peers (or me) on three separate days, for a total of three replies. Participation posts do not require a scholarly source/citation (unless you cite someone else’s work). Part of your weekly participation includes viewing the weekly announcement and attesting to watching it in the comments. These announcements are made to ensure you understand everything that is due during the week. APA Format and Writing Quality Familiarize yourself with APA format and practice using it correctly. It is used for most writing assignments for your degree. Visit the Writing Center in the Student Success Center, under the Resources tab in LoudCloud for APA paper templates, citation examples, tips, etc. Points will be deducted for poor use of APA format or absence of APA format (if required). Cite all sources of information! When in doubt, cite the source. Paraphrasing also requires a citation. I highly recommend using the APA Publication Manual, 6th edition. Use of Direct Quotes I discourage overutilization of direct quotes in DQs and assignments at the Masters’ level and deduct points accordingly. As Masters’ level students, it is important that you be able to critically analyze and interpret information from journal articles and other resources. Simply restating someone else’s words does not demonstrate an understanding of the content or critical analysis of the content. It is best to paraphrase content and cite your source. LopesWrite Policy For assignments that need to be submitted to LopesWrite, please be sure you have received your report and Similarity Index (SI) percentage BEFORE you do a “final submit” to me. Once you have received your report, please review it. This report will show you grammatical, punctuation, and spelling errors that can easily be fixed. Take the extra few minutes to review instead of getting counted off for these mistakes. Review your similarities. Did you forget to cite something? Did you not paraphrase well enough? Is your paper made up of someone else’s thoughts more than your own? Visit the Writing Center in the Student Success Center, under the Resources tab in LoudCloud for tips on improving your paper and SI score. Late Policy The university’s policy on late assignments is 10% penalty PER DAY LATE. This also applies to late DQ replies. Please communicate with me if you anticipate having to submit an assignment late. I am happy to be flexible, with advance notice. We may be able to work out an extension based on extenuating circumstances. If you do not communicate with me before submitting an assignment late, the GCU late policy will be in effect. I do not accept assignments that are two or more weeks late unless we have worked out an extension. As per policy, no assignments are accepted after the last day of class. Any assignment submitted after midnight on the last day of class will not be accepted for grading. Communication Communication is so very important. There are multiple ways to communicate with me: Questions to Instructor Forum: This is a great place to ask course content or assignment questions. If you have a question, there is a good chance one of your peers does as well. This is a public forum for the class. Individual Forum: This is a private forum to ask me questions or send me messages. This will be checked at least once every 24 hours.
Turn the brief into deliverables
- 01An analysis of how the course supported the mechanisms-of-action objective.
- 02An analysis of the protocol-critique objective across the lifespan.
- 03An analysis of the teaching-learning integration objective.
- 04An analysis of the prescriptive-therapy objective, covering its named factors.
- 05An explanation of how the material applies to your professional practice.
- 06Citations and references in APA format supporting your statements.
One section per objective, then application
Mechanisms of action across the major classes
Name classes and the mechanism that distinguishes each, citing the course content.
Critiquing protocols across the lifespan
Describe a protocol you appraised and the age-related differences that mattered.
Teaching-learning needs in pharmacotherapy
Give a patient encounter where education changed the plan.
Proposing prescriptive therapy safely
Work one case through the objective's named factors.
Professional application
Say what you will do differently, in your setting.
Evidence base
Attach a supporting citation to each pharmacological claim.
Sources that let you cite a reflection
Recommended databases
- StatPearls via NCBI Bookshelf
- DailyMed
- PubMed
- CINAHL
- Your course modules and their assigned readings
Search sequence
- 1.List the four objectives and note which course weeks addressed each.
- 2.Pick one drug class per objective that you can discuss mechanistically.
- 3.Find a lifespan pharmacokinetic source for the protocol-critique objective.
- 4.Choose one patient case that touches several factors from objective four.
- 5.Attach a citation to each objective before drafting the prose.
Reference shortlist
These are authoritative starting points, not a ready-made bibliography. A qualified reviewer must confirm that each source fits the assignment and supports the claim beside which it is cited.
Nothing here is cleared for citation until you have read it.
- 01
Pharmacodynamics
StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf · 2023
Receptor and enzyme-level mechanisms, which is what the first objective asks you to discriminate among.
- 02
Pharmacokinetics
StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf · 2023
Age-related absorption, distribution and clearance differences for the lifespan objective.
- 03
Adverse Drug Reactions
StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf · 2024
Safety factors and monitoring, central to the prescriptive-therapy objective.
- 04
Nursing Practice Act
StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf · 2023
Prescriptive authority and its limits, one of the factors objective four names explicitly.
Review before submission
Common mistakes
- Writing one general reflection instead of addressing each objective separately.
- Asserting that an objective was met without naming what in the course did it.
- Omitting citations, which the brief requires even though this is a reflection.
- Discussing drug classes without naming a mechanism at receptor or enzyme level.
- Ignoring the lifespan dimension, which appears in two of the four objectives.
- Answering the professional application question in general terms.
Submission checklist
- All four objectives are addressed under identifiable headings.
- Each objective names specific course content that supported it.
- The lifespan and safety factors from objective four are covered.
- Professional application is specific to your role and setting.
- Every pharmacological claim carries a citation.
- References are in APA format and match the in-text citations.
Use this guide to plan and review your own work. Follow your institution's rules and read our academic-integrity policy.

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