Meds after pharmacology.

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I passed pharmacology a few months ago with a B along with scoring a level 2 on the ATI. I feel like I know nothing about the different meds though! When I see the name or here one sometimes some random info crosses my mind but I dont know drug classes or what they are used for. This feels awful and I want to work on this but not sure where to start. Any advice would be great!

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Buy yourself a good nursing drug guide and compile a list of meds based on drug class. Then start reading about these meds. Much of pharmacology is memorization, no way to get around it. You have to put the time and effort in but it will pay off in the future.

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I know it is all about memorization. I guess it is just more of a question of a good way to memorize them. I have a drug guide, I think I need to go through and get the different classes and start memorizing what they do and common drugs.

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Once you become a nurse and get on the floor, you'll notice that the same 20-30 Meds are prescribed (depending on the unit could be more or much less). You'll learn those Meds exceptionally well by giving them so many times and the new Meds that you've never seen, you will research before you ever give the med. It is impossible to know all the Meds. But as you become more and more exposed to giving the medications, you'll remember the indications, side effects, contraindications, etc.

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I am a first semester Junior. I just took two semesters of pharmacology last semester got in A in both classes and got a level 2 on my ATI as well. Believe me, even after finishing pharm I still didn't remember the drugs in clinical. After a summer off and going back into clinical I had the same problem as well. However, now I am much more confident (only 9 weeks into junior semester) because the more you see the drugs, and prep on them with each new patient assignment they will start to stick. I promise! It's all about practice although you just completed pharm it's the repetition that makes you remember them. You can't possibly remember every drug. When I prep on patients for clinical I make notecards for the drugs and keep them in an alphabetized notecard box so I can reference them whenever I need to. As a nurse and especially as a nursing student you should know every drug before you give to a patient. That is what your prep work and drug books are for. It will all come to you with time.

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