Should I buy a pharmacology book although I'm not taking the class?

rags · Jan 17, 2007

My ADN program incorporated pharm into Med/Surg and there was a pharm text book and a pharm study guide that were required to purchase. I would hold off on anything expensive because you may find you too will need to purchase a specific one for your med/surg class. A drug book was also required, but we had options there on which one to buy. I have the Davis Drug Guide (yeah, it is alphabetical by drug name and easy to look up under trade or generic name in the back). Where I work now they use several others and I tend to take me Davis book with me because I am used to it's format.

If you want a jump start you might consider a good NCLEX review book that includes a chapter on pharm because then you are killing two birds with one stone and won't feel later you should have waited to purchase the required pharmacology text. I would recommend NCLEX-RN Exam Cram. Wonderful book for all topics and has an exceptional chapter on medications!

You also might consider as the op mentioned and take a pharm class from your current school in the summer. I realize you are planning to take this when you prepare for you BSN but if you have the class on your transcripts already then you won't have to take it again and will help with the study load you will have already while you are working and going to school.

Just some thoughts. Good luck!

rags

jov · Jan 17, 2007

Next year I'll be taking Med-Surg I and Med-Surg II, and I think they're going to incorperate pharm. in there... but I want to start studying now. Anyone think this is a good idea?

Scrubz, I'm afraid you are a gifted student who obviously needs to be challenged. However, when teaching gifted students the idea is to BROADEN their knowledge, not ACCELERATE their learning.

With that concept in mind, go about your studies with a slightly different slant. When you do get pharmacology assignments, take it a step further yourself. For instance, if you have to do a med sheet on low-molecular weight heparins, explore ALL of them. Compare and contrast and ask lots of questions. Look up the research articles on low-mo's. Go back to org chem and review the structure. Go back to A&P and look up the coagulation cascade and see what happens when clotting factor Xa is affected...that's what a challenge program is all about. Then when the time comes to go through the BSN program, you'll have a solid base to build on.

Lori RN_09_2b · Jan 18, 2007

Hi, Scrubz! First of all, I'm a total book geek, so the more the better. My feeling is that sometimes I may not be able to understand something in the textbook that's been assigned, but if I look at another book with a different perspective, I may catch on. I'm actually taking pharm this semester and have a great textbook, but I was browsing on the Barnes and Noble website and they have a $2 outdated pharm book, which I bought as a backup resource. That may be a good answer for you. You'd have a book without putting much $$ into it, and if you feel like doing some extra learning, it's right there. Like I said, it's an outdated book, but I'm sure most of the concepts are the same. If you decide to do this, go the the BN website and go to After Holiday Sale, click $2 books, click Medicine, then Nursing. The book I bought is sold out but I see there's another one there. I always think it's worth a couple bucks to have an extra resource, but like I said, I'm a book geek. :uhoh3: