Help remembering medication side effects...

NCRNMDM, ASN, RN · Jan 4, 2012

There really is no good way to learn drugs. In the end it all comes down to applying yourself, being determined, and memorizing all the information. I love pharmacology and drugs, so the information comes to me easily. This isn't true, however, for most people in my program. My best advice is to make drug cards. Write both names, common side effects, adverse effects, mechanism of action, what it treats, contraindications, the antidote (if there is one), lab tests to monitor, and any unique information. Study these cards everyday. As you see drugs in clinical, you will begin to understand them better, and you will pick up some information simply because you see it over and over.As far as what's important to remember, this differs with every drug. If the drug is for hypertension, you will want to check the blood pressure prior to administering the medication. You would also be on the lookout for dizziness, hypotension, tachycardia, etc. I know it seems like a daunting task, but hang in there and keep studying. You will learn the drugs eventually, and then you won't understand why you thought it was so difficult in the first place.

Neese80!, LPN · Jan 5, 2012

Yes drug cards! I hated doing them last semester but they truly help and they are easy to pull out and study everywhere! If a classof drugs side effects have similar like nausea, vomiting, etc.. I will make a mental note of that but make sure I remember the major ones like photosensitivity or superinfection... hope this helps.

DoingGodsWork · Jan 6, 2012

Thanks so much for the advice. I have been making cards as you suggested. I guess I just have to keep at it. I start to feel as though I'm rewriting the drug book when I copy so much info down. Thanks again.

NCRNMDM, ASN, RN · Jan 6, 2012

When I first started making drugs cards, I copied down every last word of every sentence in the book about the drug. I made mine on the computer, and I would always end up with a full page no matter how small I made my font, and no matter what I did. As I started seeing the drugs in clinical, I learned what was going to be asked of me, the information that I really needed to know, and I started to realize that some of the stuff I copied down was superfluous. I used to write every single interaction (both drug/drug interactions and drug/natural product interactions) down on my drug cards. As I began practicing in the clinical setting, I realized that our instructors didn't put all that much emphasis on these interactions. My clinical instructor didn't care if we could recite the list of natural products and herbs the patient should avoid. She wanted to know that we knew both names, what the drug treated, common dosages, common side effects, nursing considerations, major adverse reactions that could occur, and general things to keep in mind. As I learned what I really needed to know, and began to see what was extra fluff, I started removing the fluff from my drug cards. I look every drug up before I give it regardless of whether I know it forwards and backwards, and I always check the computer to make sure that there aren't any contraindications prior to administering the drug. Because of these extra steps, I don't have to remember whether or not my patient needs to stop taking their valerian root.

Here is an example of how telling an instructor about a drug has been for me: I get the drug/drugs I need out of the Pyxis, and go find my instructor. I tell her what drugs I am giving, and inform her that I am ready to discuss the drugs with her. For the purpose of this example, let's say that I am only giving 2 mg of morphine IV push for pain 8/10. I would say something like this: "I am going to give Ms. Jones in room 415 2 mg of morphine IV push for surgical site pain that she rated 8 out of 10 on a zero to ten scale. Morphine sulfate is the generic name, and Astramorph is one of the trade names. Morphine is an opioid analgesic indicated for the treatment of severe pain, pain associated with MI, and pulmonary edema. Common side effects of morphine are: confusion, sedation, hypotension, and constipation. The major adverse effect of morphine sulfate is respiratory depression which is defined (in our program at least) as a respiratory rate of less than eight breaths per minute. If respiratory depression should occur, the antidote for morphine is Naloxone. Prior to administering this drug, I will check the BP and respiratory rate, and I will hold this dose if the BP is less than 90 systolic, or if the respiratory rate is less than 12 breaths per minute. After administering this dose, I will ensure that the call bell is within the patient's reach, and I will instruct the patient to contact me before attempting to get out of bed. I will also ensure that three side rails are up, and that the bed is in low position (something you should do anyway). If the patient is receiving a morphine PCA, I will instruct the family not to push the PCA button for the patient, and will emphasize that the patient is the only one who should touch the button. I will carefully monitor bowel habits during the time the patient is receiving morphine, as it can cause constipation. I will also advise the patient to rise slowly to avoid sudden changes in blood pressure, dizziness, and, possibly, fainting. I plan to push this dose of morphine over 2-5 minutes. I will flush the line with 5-10 ml of normal saline prior to administering the morphine to ensure that it is patient. If the line is patent, I will administer the morphine, and flush with at least 10 ml of normal saline following the IV push."

My instructor has seen me give IV medications, and she feels that I am proficient at the task. If I am giving a new IV drug, she may go with me. However, if I am giving a routine IV medication, such as morphine, she will allow me to go on my own (granted that I tell her everything she wants to hear, and she feels that I can administer the drug safely). As you give drugs in clinical, and become familiar with what you are expected to know about each drug, you will feel more confident, and your drug cards will get shorter.

MN-Nurse, ASN, RN · Jan 6, 2012

Repetition. Keep looking them up until you remember them.

It gets easier.

IaCountryGirl · Jan 6, 2012

A lot of it's repetition and learning by class. But for side effects/adverse effects, we need to go with the most important ones. What I did with patients is when I got their information, I went through each drug in the handbook and noted what is important to remember. Then I'd write out a plan. Is it a lot of paper and time? Yes but it's what helped me. I struggle with drugs.

DoingGodsWork · Jan 8, 2012

@ mattrnstudent23wow! that is a lot of information to know and when you put it into practice, i realize that everything that i know about the drug comes back to me. thank you for putting it in the sequence of events for me which helps me to visualize giving meds so that i can go through the whole motion and know what to do step by step. i think part of my problem is that i have not given as much meds in the clinical setting as i would have liked to at this point. i have two more semesters to go so i guess the pace will pick up for me soon. thank you so much for taking the time to help me. i understand fully what i need to do now.

mpihl · Jan 9, 2012

Please help!
How can I improve my memorization of medication trade and generic names as well as side and adverse effects...not to mention nursing interventions....there is so much to get down I'm having trouble keeping track of meds and what they do. I know I should learn them by classification, and I do but there are so many side effects to remember. How do I pick out the most important information to know about each drug. If anyone has any acronyms or catchy phrases I would so appreciate it!>>>>>Happy Nursing!

We were told to learn life threatening side effects, the antidote if they have one, any labs that need to be done, the drugs names, and the classification. It gets a lot easier to learn the medications as you go along in the nursing program especially when your doing clinical and giving the same drugs over and over again. Our instructor in pharmacology told us to learn them as good as we could then but don't kick ourselves for not learning them 100% because later on we would get it. Make flashcards and just constantly look over them even on breaks and when your in other classes.

NCRNMDM, ASN, RN · Jan 9, 2012

We give every medication for our patients at every med pass. Last semester, we were on a surgical floor that also accepts ICU step-down and medical overflow. We saw a lot of PCA pumps, antibiotic gtts, one to one fluid replacement, adjunct pain medications, anti-anxiety drugs, blood transfusions, insulins, anti emetics, antihypertensives, heparin, coumadin, and every other anticoagulant known to man. This is only my second semester, but I have already given over 65 drugs. My last clinical instructor was great about letting us give new medications, and ensuring that our knowledge of old medications was reinforced. During this clinical (January through March) we will be on the same floor, but we will also go to OR, hospice, pre/post anesthesia, and outpatient. During the next clinical (March through May) we will be doing pediatrics, medical step-down/telemetry, and possibly ICU and ED. Third semester is a ten week summer session, and it's dedicated to psych.

The more you give these drugs, the more comfortable you will become with them. That scenario I wrote out for you occurs everyday during clinical, and I've become incredibly comfortable rattling all that information off about a lot of drugs. There are still a ton of drugs I need to look up, there are still certain things I want to double check before I proceed, and there is still information to learn, but there is a set of drugs with which I am very comfortable. It will get better for you. Just keep studying, seek out opportunities to give drugs in clinical, and try to apply the knowledge that you have.

abiklags · Jan 9, 2012

the more you review the meds and use the knowledge clinically the better it sticks. i dont have specific hints because i have used so many dif techniques for so many dif things. for antipshychotic meds in pharm, i made an excel sheet of interactions. for HTN meds i made flash cards etc. when i had a few min in basic MS i would look up meds on my pda or lexicomp - my floor was a general ms floor-no P/O, monitor etc. frequent review is key

one hint one of my profs gave: any med given PO has the potential for GI upset. morphine-constipation, iron-tarry black stool, ASA-gastric irritation.

now in my last semester b4 capstone the more common SE and antidotes are second nature-morphine-narcan. Heparin-protamine sulfate. MagSulfate-calcium gluconate. coumadin-Vit k. but its because of frequent repitition i think.