How to self-study Pharmacology?

VickyRN, MSN, DNP, RN · Dec 8, 2011

You may want to check out this wonderful resource: https://allnurses.com/nursing-student-assistance/pharmacology-flashcards-595483.html

Best wishes to you.

NCRNMDM, ASN, RN · Dec 9, 2011

In my program we have to know trade name, generic name, indications, action, side effects, adverse effects, nursing considerations, teaching points, assessment values, any lab data that the drug alters, miscellaneous information, lab values to monitor while the patient is on the drug (like PT, aPTT, and INR with anticoagulants), and an antidote if one exists. We also have to know how to give the antidote, if there is one, what the side effects of it are, and how much can be given, etc. We also have to make drug cards with this information for every drug that we see in clinical. We were given a list of 18 drugs to make cards for prior to clinical, and we were expected to know these on clinical day one. Since then, we have been expanding our knowledge by making cards for each new drug we see in clinical each week. I currently have about 70 drug cards.

laderalis · Dec 9, 2011

You can try, but a lot of it is not going to make sense until you have a med-surg/ mental health class under your belt. Most of pharmacology did not make a whole lot of sense until I got to apply it in clinicals. You can blindly memorize facts, but that doesn't mean you will understand it. in nursing school, as opposed to high school/pre-req's, you have to understand it and be able to apply the information.

If I had to start nursing school all over again, I would begin at the beginning and really start reading the fundamentals book first. Those are the skills that are used EVERY day. start reading about med administration, different kinds of shots, inserting catheters, dressing changes, etc

If you really want to start Pharm early, I would focus on pain meds, BP/cholesterol meds, any of the other cardiac-related meds (digoxin, heparin/coumadin/lovenox, diuretics). know how the drug works/what it does, what it is used for, when it can't be used, antidote, side effects, teaching points; pretty much what mattmrn said. :)

good luck! it's hard but oh so worth it.

mpihl · Dec 30, 2011

We had to learn the generic name, trade name, drug class, actions, uses, major interactions, antidote, and adverse effects but we were also told to concentrate on the life threatening things. If you have a pharm book then I would suggest finding the prototypes and reviewing them.

jesskidding, LPN · Dec 30, 2011

hey all!
i hope to start nursing school in the fall 2012 and my program will have a pharmacology class. i want to self study before that time but don't specifically know what to memorize. when i look at drug books there are lots of categories under each drug name. i'm guessing we have to know trade names, generic names, uses, interactions, for example, but what else should we focus on?
i have a pharm book but looking at it makes my eyes cross. there's so much info! i guess what i need to know is how to study. the categories and how to get started. i found this video that seemed to help but i'm not sure if she includes all categories to study for each drug or class. thoughts?
http://youtu.be/jougtau04we

i highly recommend this software. we used it as a supplement to my pharm class in nursing school. it is wonderful. you will be so ahead of everyone. it is worth the money. it made difficult dosage calcualtions so easy to understand.

amazon.com: calculating drug dosages: an interactive approach to learning nursing math (9780803615328): sandra luz martinez de castillo, maryanne werner-mccullough: books