Pharmacology Help

amjowens · Apr 15, 2008

I'm taking Pharm along with my other nursing courses. I'm in a three-semester program, with my classes semester-long, not taken individually. Pharm is considered the weed-out course, and with only one exam left plus the final, a lot of people are struggling. No way around it, Pharm is tough.

One classmate I sometimes study with is so overwhelmed (like us all), but I notice that half of her mind is on how she isn't remembering/how difficult, etc. WHILE we are studying. It takes up her energy-instead of her mind on just going over it and over it, half of it is sucked up in the negativity. SO, as far as I can tell (she's not doing too well in the class), keeping your mind on the present, on Pharm, and not allowing it to wander or get negative is really important.

Another, I bought a small dry-erase board. I study a section, then put it kind-of aside (still look a bit to check) and pretend in my mind that I'm teaching it. I use the dry erase board like a class board. The things I thought I knew, I find I don't when I'm forced to "teach" it. If I don't get it, I sit and study, then again I go. Keeps me focused, though, admittedly, wouldn't want someone to walk in on me when doing this and standing up pretending to teach!

Another, organize info, each section, anything applying to section of drugs, on a single piece of paper. Actually draw a bottle on paper for each med, the around it, the particulars of the drug. Draw a line, on top, the overall class of drugs, and the particulars about the class of the drug.

I got a "D" on my first Pharm exam. I was so upset because I studied so "hard". How we study is so important. I redid my entire method (above, mostly, along with scheduling study times, no diversions) and after 5 more exams, now have a 95% in the class. I'm not one to share grades, etc., but I went from a "D", so I know how it feels, to earning on 3 of my exams 100%!!! I almost have Pharm conquered, with about 3 weeks left! Good luck to you, and I hope some of my methods might help you!

rbaez4 · Apr 15, 2008

Thanks alot. I usually read and reread my chapters, I have been doing flash cards for all these drugs and I realized no sense in trying to learn the meds without classifying them first. Last nite I sat down and did 3 hrs of studying the way I usually do when I am school and It did me a world of justice. I do beleive ur write when u say if u focus on what ur not retaining its gong to stress u to the very core, its been this way with me since I left school in Feb.

We all have are methods of studying and I just think I need to get back into how I was doing when I was in school. I will take ur advice on how to keep the meds in mind. Hopefully it will help to draw things I do like studying off images it helps a great deal.

My first Pharm test the week I was there beleive me was tuff but I did pass it with an 82. Not one of my better scores but considering how ruff things were for me I was just happy to pass at that point.

Thanks again..

pagandeva2000, LPN · Apr 18, 2008

Place the drugs in catagories, and the suffix can tell you alot, for example, the drugs that end in 'pril' are usually ACE Inhinitors such as captopril, those ending in 'olol' are beta blockers, 'statin' are usually cholesterol lowering drugs (such as atorvastatin, 'dafil' are erectile dysfuntioning meds (sildenafil-viagra) and such. A good book to get that will help with this as well as the rest of your nursing course is Delmar's Comprehensive Guide for NCLEX-PN. Their pharmacology chapter will remind you of these suffixes. The comprehensive guide has a summary of everything you will learn in your program and is good for notes, summaries and main points. When you make a catagory-name one or two drugs that fit in that catagory and the common side effects and adverse effects. Good luck!

rbaez4 · Apr 18, 2008

Thank u.....

peridotgirl · Apr 19, 2008

Hello there and good luck in your Pharm class... Well here is my two cents. My nursing instructor had to made index cards. On each we would write the following: Generic name of drug, trade names, actions/uses, side effects, adverse effects, dosage, route, nursing considerations, labs to evaluate, and drug-to drug interactions. Also, I would color code them... so like blue cards are for a cards in a specific category (like respiratory meds) red is for the heart.. and so forth... hope this helps and good luck. :heartbeat:yeah::):typing:nurse: :nurse: :nurse:

rbaez4 · Apr 19, 2008

Thank u, I like the color coding idea.....

I also bought a new pharm book that most of my classmates told me to get, I , it seems I relate better to this one, its called core concepts in Pharmacology, it breakes things down so much simpler and the practice questions for each chapter are really good. I have been reading basic pharm for nurses and its way to detailed and confusing.

Thanks again...

HeartsOpenWide, RN · Apr 19, 2008

I got an A- in pharm, this is what I did: study, study, study, and then I studied studied studied......

-Make yourself familiar with the concept of flash cards

-Know the pigeon holes of the drugs

-read the chapters and try to find the key points that are listed in the back and number them inside the text itself

-see if you can sign up for evolve.http://evolve.elsevier.com/

-buy Pharmacology Made Easy

-see if your school has tutors

-I am not sure which book your school uses but this one makes it so easy to understand: http://www.amazon.com/Pharmacology-Nursing-Care-Study-Package/dp/1416037446/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_k2a_2_txt?pf_rd_p=304485601&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-2&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=0721698433&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0SCKHRTKKZF0PKPECFT3

if you buy it new evolve is included.