Pharmocology online? Bad idea?

roni221 · Dec 20, 2007

I'm starting my first semester Jan. 4th. This semester all of us are taking Pharm. online. It's the first semester the nursing dept. has changed it to this. I've heard it's easy, although I know that's relative, I'm guess it's easy compared to other nursing courses but still takes time and effort. In the past they've had online and in-class course so I'm assuming that the online courses have been pretty successful for the dept to switch over to everyone taking pharm online. So all that to say, I haven't taken it myself but I think from what I've heard it should be ok to do it online as long as you make sure to put the time and effort that's needed.

Good luck in whatever you choose.

PMHNP10 · Dec 20, 2007

Hey my fellow students! Anyone take Pharm online? Should I take it online? Will I be ok? Is this class hard to do without an instructor teaching? Is the med dose math to hard to do without an instructor? Help!!!!!!!!! Please. Thanks

IMHO, a pharm class is ideal for online. Really, the only way to teach such a class would be through lecture, and I can tolerate a lecture far better when I'm able to pause the video, splash cold water in my face and shake out the cobwebs. I don't learn by sitting in a stupor staring into space while the instructor lectures at me for an hour or 2 or 3. However, you have to be disciplined for an online class. If you have never taken an online class, i wouldn't necessarily recommend pharm being your 1st.

FuturoEnfermera · Dec 20, 2007

I'm taking my pharm final tomorrow and have only watched about half of the online streamed lectures. Shame on me! Depends on what you're like I suppose. Our final is open internet, notes, book, anything except talking with each other so I allowed myself to be lazy. I'm over 100% at this point so I'm hoping it turns out ok! First day of class she told us we'd learn far more from clinicals (that start next semester) than from anything learned in the class. I dunno.

Oh and my pharm class didn't have any math....There must be different versions.

NightOwl0624 · Dec 20, 2007

I did not like my particular online Pharm class AT ALL. But I understand it has a lot to do with the content and the professor.

We had a lot more work than the lecture class (case studies, discussion board participation, etc). We did not have any lecture notes or power points. We were told to read the chapter and had quizzes on the material. No indication of what was "important" or what to focus on. It was like being given a Drug book and told to memorize all of the Antibiotics (or whatever class we were studying). It was a one credit class and we were told to expect to put in 3-4 hours/week. I put in about 3 times that estimate. I didn't think it was fair at all, but I did get a good grade.

krenee · Dec 20, 2007

I took Pharmacology online and lived to tell about it. We didn't do med math in pharmacology though . . . although so far in NUR 111 I think med math is easy - basic algebra. Exactly the same math we did in chemistry which was a prereq.

Have you taken other online classes before? My advice is the same for anyone taking any online class . . . don't get behind! You have to have self discipline and stick to a schedule. If you get behind, it is absolute hell to catch up. I gave myself deadlines to take each test (the way ours was set up we took the tests when we were ready) and I took that test on that day whether I felt ready or not. My first online class was A&P/Micro together and I did get behind and it was really, really hard to catch up.

Best of luck!

Kelly

fmrnicumom · Dec 20, 2007

In my program, we are not permitted to take pharm or patho online. They must have had issues with it in the past. I do know that the RN-BSN bridge students can take it online. I've also heard from people who have taken it that the professors say repeatedly that you'll learn more at the hospital than in class.

Tiffany

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Dec 20, 2007

This is a class that is very commonly being put online these days. I took it online as part of my health information management curriculum. It is normally a cut and dry lecture class and bodes well to an online venue. You need to keep up with the reading and any assignments. There is a lot of memorization as well. Math was not a part of the class. The class was learning about the many different classifications of drugs and how they worked in the body--basically, the physiology of how the drugs worked. This is information that you will need as part of your critical thinking element of the nursing process when you are considering the medications the doctor has ordered for patients and why later on when you are doing care planning.

Do a search of this forum. You will find a fair number of posts about this type of class and what it entails. You are not the first to ask about it.

hadad_hani2006, LPN, LVN · Dec 20, 2007

thank you

SONIC281 · Dec 21, 2007

Took it online last semester. Very easy. It was actualy a fun class. My suggestion is to buy the book early and get to work immediately. I did all of my assignments for the semester and posted them online by the end of the second week. Then you can just sit back and wait for the exams. i ended up with a 99.9% for the course.