I feel I don't know anything about...

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Dec 24, 2008

Some concepts are very complicated and difficult to understand. Were you able to tie your shoes perfectly on your first attempt? Your third? Your fifth? Sometimes it takes time for a path to get worn down and established. Be patient. Every time you have a patient getting one of these drugs, review the mechanism of action behind them and compare the patient's disease process and pathophysiology with the purpose of the drug. After you have had several patients receiving these drugs it will all begin to make more sense.

msjam54 · Dec 25, 2008

Thank you Daytonite for the reassurance, and your right am sure, with repetition it should become clearer, Just a little scary though.

Thanks again

Msjam

allnurses Guide · Dec 25, 2008

How'd you do in the class? There is nothing to stop you doing your own study as you come across a drug as Daytonite said. The learning with medications never stops - I still look up any medication before giving it if I'm even the slightest bit unsure. You don't need to remember all this stuff off by heart, although knowing the classes, actions and side effects is required.

msjam54 · Dec 25, 2008

Hey ghillbert, i got a C in the class, but that was mostly do to extra credit homework, not because I knew and undestood the work, so Its not so important that I can rattle offf or understand all the different types of drugs names that i named in my earlier thread? And yes I will study up on the meds and classficiations and side affects, thanky you as well for your reply.

Msjam

brenSD · Dec 25, 2008

Do what my mom said she did...........she did not try to understand it, she new knew that it was.af

After graduating nursing school, everything came together for her. I will be doing that same thing

this semester

msjam54 · Dec 28, 2008

Hello BrenSD,

I'm not sure I understand what you said your mom did, But I would like to know!

Msjam

walezri · Dec 28, 2008

hi guys,

my name is waleed and i'm from bahrain. brother regarding pharma, i'll tell u what i used to do. u just have to know the basic and try to pass as u r in first semister. don't worry u'll get it latter on by experience.

patrick1rn, MSN, RN, NP · Dec 28, 2008

well you know what you dont know, so go look it up and find out

ShortStackRN · Dec 28, 2008

Here's my advice for trying to memorize these things. I made an A in Pharmacology and I owe it all to the study guides that I made myself. What I did was go through all of the drugs that I was to know (class/action/sideeffects/adverse/contraindications/levels[if needed]). I made myself a chart basically. It was easier once I could take a pretty well known drug, consider the side effects and what type of effect causes them (i.e. Benadryl has ANTIcholinergic effects...dry mouth, drowsiness, etc./Cholinergic drugs are used to treat things like Myasthenia Gravis...anything for which MORE muscle strength is needed). Those are just two simple examples but that was the way I made it through...find any which way you can to relate a to b to c to d until you get it! GOOD LUCK!!!

tnortham · Dec 29, 2008

I have found when you get into more advanced clinical classes your instructor will not accept this is a "calcium channel blocker". You will have to explain how a calcium channel blocker works; patients can have a lot of medicines...after explaining every week what a calcium channel blocker is (and the thirty other medicines they are taking) you are going to remember how it works, and the names of the medicines that are in that class because of repitition. You may not have an actual pharm class; but you will continue to use pharm throughout your nursing classes.

E.R. Rookie · Jan 3, 2009

I started learning when I started giving the medications. It started to all fall into place for me. Don't worry its your first semester! A Nurse who thinks they know everything is more dangerous than a Nurse who feels they know nothing.