Help with Meds

Nursing Students General Students

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I am a first semester nursing student who just gave her first SUBQ shots yesterday! Yay!

Before we give meds or injections, I have to give a small report to my CI about my patient, and what meds they are taking and WHY.

Im struggling with the "why" part. Some of them are obvious and easy to know and some are difficult. I have been studying the differences between Beta Blockers, Calcium Channel blockers, etc and cant seem to correlate why my pt is on one or the other. If they have HTN, A-Fib, Kidney diseases, and such...how can I better understand what the B blockers or CA channel blockers will help with- and whats the difference if there is one?

Or is it something I will learn in later semesters? If so, how come they expect us to know now? I cant seem to find answers other than the definitions of how it works. Thanks :)

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Specializes in NICU, Trauma, Oncology.

We learned in our pharm class the African Americans respond better to Ca channel blockers than beta blockers - maybe that helps? Look at their diagnosis abd the drug book and see if you can find a correlation? It's tough without knowing the pt. Also sometimes meds are prescribed as MD or facility preference for certain pathologies

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Specializes in Hospitalist Medicine.

Learn your "prils" (ACE Inhibitors) from your "tans" (ARBs), the "lols" (beta blockers) and "pines" (Ca channel blockers). A google search will yield several sites that explain the differences & important side effects. It's also helpful to know which diuretics are commonly prescribed with these meds (e.g. HCTZ, Lasix, Sprionolactone, etc.)

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Have you taken pharmacology yet? We just finished covering beta blockers in my pharm class and will be starting on calcium channel blockers in a few weeks. Looking at my book there are a few factors in deciding if a beta blocker or ccb will be used. Does the patient have a health concern that would keep them from using a particular drug, for example heart failure, post Myocardial infarction, diabetes. Certain drugs are contraindicated for these conditions while others. For example and indication for metoprolol a selective beta 1 blocker along with hypertension is use in heart failure. While verapamil and dilatiazem ccb as an adverse effect can cause heart failure. So if you have a patient that is needing an anti hypertensive drug and you know that they have heart failure, based on the knowledge that you have for your prototypes on beta blockers and ccb which drug would you expect to be prescribed?

I am sure that there is probably some more to the reasons, but from the knowledge that I have gained so far and looking at my book I think this might help some.

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Thank you this helped me, pharm class is optional in my program, but I will be taking it next year for sure now. I have been looking them up and trying to correlate it on my own but haven't spent much time on it because it is hard teaching yourself in that sense.

Thank you again

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Specializes in NICU, Trauma, Oncology.

I recommend youtube university of Hawaii pharmacology lectures. They are great!

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At my school you could take pharmacology during the first semester of the nursing program, however it is a point based admissions and with out having the class getting in without it is pretty much impossible. Few things that I have found helpful so far with pharmacology is that if you understand the underlying physiology, it will help in understanding what actions the drug will have, what it is used for, adverse effects and contraindications. Makes it much easier than trying to memorize a bunch of information ;) Definitely taking a pharmacology class I think will help you in understanding the different drugs that are being used and why.

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Specializes in ICU.

Pharm is not required for your program? It's one of the most important classes. As a nurse, you need to know your meds and why you are giving them. Plus you need to know meds to pass the NCLEX. Pharmacology is extremely important.

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Specializes in Psych.
Pharm is not required for your program? It's one of the most important classes. As a nurse, you need to know your meds and why you are giving them. Plus you need to know meds to pass the NCLEX. Pharmacology is extremely important.

Agreed. That's VERY surprising!!

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I didn't have to take pharmacology for my LPN program but it was offered as a separate class at the school and was recommended if we wanted to find decent employment. Even though many meds were incorporated into the disease and disorders classes I still found the class important as it went further in depth and covered more medications. The same book that was used for the course is the one that I have for my RN Pharmacology, just a different edition.

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Specializes in Hospitalist Medicine.

I just can't believe that some programs would make pharmacology optional!!!! It's on the NCLEX! How could the students pass NCLEX if they haven't had Pharm?

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I just can't believe that some programs would make pharmacology optional!!!! It's on the NCLEX! How could the students pass NCLEX if they haven't had Pharm?

Mine incorporated meds into the disease and disorder curriculum (would be med/surg for RN). They offered a three month 4 hour a day, two days a week pharmacology course for an additional charge that they strongly encouraged us to take towards the end of our program. Personally, I only had a few med questions on my boards. However, I do think that it should be required if they nurse is going to be dealing with meds (which is around what, 90% of the job opportunities?). When I graduated there was a certification for LPNs called NAPNES, but since the test has gone electronic and was no longer proctored at the time I graduated it lost its value and wasn't required by any hospital/nursing facility that I applied for.

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