need to know meds

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wow! nursing school has been a crazy jouney! i am returning after a necessitated 2 yr absence...i have 3 courses to go and feel like time has stolen my education! first of all, i have an aversion to many meds as i find so many so detrimental or avoidable(plus, as a thyroid patient, i have no choice but to take a med daily and thoroughly dislike the need of it!) please help! i love nursing but have this nightmare of being buried in pills! :wink2: please throw some big name meds my way so i can focus on the need-to-knows now! i am systematically going through the other classifications, but am in school again and need a memory jog! thank you!!!!:imbar

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Specializes in Utilization Management.

Insulins: Regular, Gargline, 70/30 Regular, 70/30 long. Glyburide, Glucophage. Know duration and onset of action.

Antibiotics. Rocephin, Zithromax, Vancomycin, Gentamycin, Zosyn. Know which need blood tests to determine therapeutic effect.

Heart medications. Nitroglycerin, Digoxin, Amiodarone, Coreg. Know what Beta blockers, Alpha blockers, and Ace inhibitors do and be able to name a few. Know how nitrates work.

Anticoagulants. aspirin, Plavix, Coumadin. Look up the nursing assessments and interventions for these. memorize side effects.

Diuretics: Lasix, Hctz, and the other one -- can't recall, starts with an 'a' and you don't give it if the K+ is high --- someone will have to help, or you can look it up.

I hate giving a lot of meds too, but these meds are real life savers and as you begin to give them you will see how many lives have been improved with the use of the appropriate med for the appropriate condition.

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Specializes in Med Surg, ER, OR.

Ancef, aldactone, Bumex, Narcan and other " "(name for meds that reverse effects), K, Mag, Na, Ca, thyroid meds (synthroid), kidney meds (cellcept, renagel, phosrenal, etc), liver meds, card meds, benadryl, tylenol, ASA, morphine, ativan, vicodin, percocet, toradol, dilaudid, demerol, phenergan, zofran, compazine...

I may still have a list of important meds that i looked up from school if you are interested, just PM...

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We rotate through our clinicals so fast that we have to carry our med book with us. I had a patient recently who was on 52 daily medications. I think that trying to commit the top meds to memory is a waste of time....

The memory will come with experience. Use your time to study so you pass the exams.

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I think the med is Aldosterone that Angie O'Plasty is referring to for the diuretics...excellent list.

jadu1106 :)

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Specializes in L&D.

I agree with the ones mentioned above. I'd also add Pepcid - many patients in the hospital will be on it, for ulcer prophylaxis, memorize it right away to save yourself time.

The biggest ones for me in nursing school were Coumadin (the antidote is Vitamin K) and Heparin (the antidote is protamine sulfate). Memorize those, too, even if you don't memorize anything else. I guarantee you'll have at least one question on a test or in clinical on one of these.

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Specializes in Utilization Management.
I think the med is Aldosterone that Angie O'Plasty is referring to for the diuretics...excellent list.

jadu1106 :)

Yes, that's it!

Sorry about the major BF! :imbar

I think our "biggies" that Sterren mentioned were: digoxin, potassium, coumadin, heparin, dilantin, gentamycin and vanco. Then they'd throw in some pyridium just to throw us off because as you all know, pyridium changes the urine color to orange. Never mind that we hardly ever see it in the hospital. :rolleyes:

And btw, we have a whole forum devoted to medications here. It might help you to browse these threads. I learned a lot there. https://allnurses.com/forums/f279/

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Thank you for all of the fantastic replies. I feel like I have been given a memory jog just reading the replies and fully intend to thoroughly review all of the above!! :bow::yeah::yeah::yeah:

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Specializes in Telemetry & Obs.
The biggest ones for me in nursing school were Coumadin (the antidote is Vitamin K) and Heparin (the antidote is protamine sulfate). Memorize those, too, even if you don't memorize anything else. I guarantee you'll have at least one question on a test or in clinical on one of these.

Big ones for NCLEX, too ;)

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Specializes in Utilization Management.

Oh yeah, don't forget to look up the strange properties of Mucomyst!! ;)

That's always a favorite.

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Specializes in Med Surg, ER, OR.
I think the med is Aldosterone that Angie O'Plasty is referring to for the diuretics...excellent list.

jadu1106 :)

Not to be a butt-hole, but Aldosterone is not it. Aldosterone is a hormone in the endocrine system, but ALDACTONE (or, spironolactone) is the diuretic you are looking for. It is potassium sparing and is used fairly frequently.

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not to be a butt-hole, but aldosterone is not it. aldosterone is a hormone in the endocrine system, but aldactone (or, spironolactone) is the diuretic you are looking for. it is potassium sparing and is used fairly frequently.

mcknis:

you are absolutely right! it is aldactone! thank you for bringing this to my attention.

jadu1106

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