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Discussion

Drugs

Hello all!

I am currently in the second out of a five semester ADN program and this semester is my first clinical(SNF.) In my program, everyone takes pharmacology the first semester and I was disappointed with the class. I did well, got an A, and got the bare basics that were taught in the class but I was expecting to know a lot more about a greater number of drugs by the end of the class. I find myself looking up drugs all the time still. I know it's early in my program and career but my question to you current nurses (or students further along than I) is how did you learn about drugs? REALLY learn about them...not just memorize and use it to pass pharm tests. If I were to go out on a limb I would guess that it comes with experience and more exposure to medications in clinical or the workplace. I just wanted to hear everyone's thoughts on this. I wasn't sure if I should post this here or in the nursing school section. Feel free to move it if you think it's appropriate.

Thanks everyone!

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    • Experts

    Ummm you might want to start by calling it medication? :)

    You will have to study, make flash cards of the meds your clinical patients are on and you will start to see many of them over. Its basic memorization and then seeing the target, responses, adverse reactions etc.

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    In my only two nursing jobs, there have been clickable, pop-up monographs for every medication in the computer. Unfamiliar medications can literally be studied at the patient's bedside. Just click on the "M" box after you scan the medication. And for huge risks, you don't even have to click. A "black box" warning pops up and must be cleared before one can proceed.

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    • Experts

    We had to make drug cards. This was in the day before pre-printed cards were available. Looking up a med then writing out pertinent details on a 3x5 card helped me to imprint that information on my brain.

    Back then, you guarded your recipe box stuffed with those cards with your life.

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    • Experts

    I learned medications and their actions through repetition in the workplace. My 1st job after nursing school was in a SNF; lots of medications there. At first I was constantly looking medications up, but after awhile they became 2nd nature. Once you have them down pat they seem to stay with you forever. After 20 odd years I find I still have to look up certain uncommon meds, but much, much less frequently.

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