How many of your schools require a pharmacology class?

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I'm struggling through my pharmacology class and I have heard not all schools require it. How many of you are required to take it as part of your course matrix? How did you get through it? I study by classification, and its just not clicking.:crying2:

Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.

It is so odd how many schools with he same degree have such varying requirements that seem like they should be core in all programs.

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Specializes in Operating Room.
I'm in a BSN program, and our pharmacology class is second semester.

Same here. Pharm was not fun ...

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Specializes in ER, progressive care.

I'm in a BSN program and my school requires pharmacology. I can't imagine schools that don't! Pharm is such an important class :nono:

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I am in an ADN program with the City Colleges of Chicago and they do not require Pharm! It is an optional summer course and I am taking it over the summer, I figured it couldnt hurt. I must admit though, I am very scared based on all of the posts about how horrific it is!

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gonnabeanurse11... if it is your only class in the summer, I believe you will do fine. For the ADN program at my school, Pharmacology is not required either but I'm going to take it to further my knowledge. However, I can't take it yet until I finish A&P 2... since I'm taking Mircobiology after A&P 2 and too afraid to take it with Microbiology, Pharmacology can wait. Pathophysiology is not required either and I want to take it as well. I am on the waitlist to start the nursing program so I have plenty of time. Good luck with your class... let me know how hard it is.

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I'm in an ASN program and we do not have a separate Pharm class but it is integrated into every class and clinical every semester. Knowing our medications, class, mechanism of action, adverse reactions, and contraindications are a required part of our clinical prep the night before. We are also quizzed prior to passing medications for each patient on the medication.

My school too.

At another program I was in, Pharm was a separate class and it was HARD. Esp when you're looking at drugs, (like diabetes) when you haven't even STUDIED it in class yet. And you won't for another semester.

I like it much better this way. When we did diabetes- we did diabetes drugs. Heart failure- heart failure drugs. It just helps me to understand how and why it works better when I actually have a clue as to what disease the drug's being taken for.

We need to know drugs too the night before clinical. At least we can use our cards when being quizzed about what drug we're giving. It makes it much easier. And again, when I look at stuff a zillion times it gets into my head better :D

Cheryl

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My school too.

At another program I was in, Pharm was a separate class and it was HARD. Esp when you're looking at drugs, (like diabetes) when you haven't even STUDIED it in class yet. And you won't for another semester.

I like it much better this way. When we did diabetes- we did diabetes drugs. Heart failure- heart failure drugs. It just helps me to understand how and why it works better when I actually have a clue as to what disease the drug's being taken for.

We need to know drugs too the night before clinical. At least we can use our cards when being quizzed about what drug we're giving. It makes it much easier. And again, when I look at stuff a zillion times it gets into my head better :D

Cheryl

Hmmmm... maybe that's why the ADN program at my school doesn't require a seperate Pharmacology class. Wondering if I should just cross that class off my list.

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I'm attending a community college for an ADN program and Pharmacology is required. There is no way you can get through the NCLEX and pass the Pharmacology part without taking a class and you must know information about meds to be a nurse. It is notorious for being difficult, but there are tons of different study guides and memorization aides to help with it.

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I am planning on taking Pharmacology and Pathophysiology even though it is not required for an ADN at my community college. Medical terminology isn't required either for the nursing program but it is required for other Health programs at our school. I want to take as many classes as I can to help me pass the NCLEX.

I always thought it was strange that my school didn't require MedTerm for nursing. I originally started in the Sonography program and MedTerm is required for that so I took it. Then when I transferred to nursing, I didn't see it on the curriculum. You would think it would be a requirement, it's extremely helpful.

I'm like you. I'm taking as many classes as possible and buying tons of guides to help me pass the NCLEX. I would actually be afraid to go to a school that doesn't require Pharm because it's so important.

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Specializes in Emergency/Cath Lab.
I always thought it was strange that my school didn't require MedTerm for nursing. I originally started in the Sonography program and MedTerm is required for that so I took it. Then when I transferred to nursing, I didn't see it on the curriculum. You would think it would be a requirement, it's extremely helpful.

Did someone hijack my account because I was just about to post this exact thing. I think it is odd we have to do statistics but not Med Term. I understand statistics will help out a little bit, but come on med term.

We have to take pharm our first semester but we are trying to get it spread out over all 4 semesters because we are not happy with the way it is taught.

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I'm in an associates program and it's required. However, they do offer the option of testing out of it. You take a 20 question test and your must answer ALL 20 questions correctly to test out of it. If you miss 1 or 2 questions, you can do a 3 hour review instead of the whole class.

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Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
I am in an ADN program with the City Colleges of Chicago and they do not require Pharm! It is an optional summer course and I am taking it over the summer, I figured it couldnt hurt. I must admit though, I am very scared based on all of the posts about how horrific it is!

I didn't think it was that bad, I was 0.06% away from a B in it (which is an 85% for our program). I got 100% on my final and I didn't study for it but for maybe 1-2 hours before the exam. We have it first and 3rd semester and First Semester we also have a 3 credit dosage calc class to take and a 9 credit Fundamentals class, clinicals and then the 2 credit Pharm class (which most times was more then 2 hours a week).

3rd we take it with Psych and Advances med/surge.

We didn't have to take Med Term either which I found odd.

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