New to teaching pharmacology

pamrn71 · Aug 15, 2008

Hi! I too am teaching Pharm for the first time this year. What type of school do you teach at? I was fortunate to be given the materials of the last instructor, but would also like any input anyone has.

Thanks!

iteachob, MSN, RN · Aug 20, 2008

This is a very good website for information, videos, you name it....

http://www.ismp.org

pamrn71 · Aug 22, 2008

Thank you. That's a great site!

BigBadInstructor · Aug 25, 2008

I have been teaching pharmacology since 1994, every fall and spring semester. The best advice I can give is to be enthusiastic when teaching. Pharmacology can be a very dry subject! I teach according to body systems, which gives the students a reference to the drug, disease processes, adverse reactions, and teaching the patient. If you cannot pronounce the name of the drug, or the generic form, use the audio pronounciation guide that comes with the textbook. I always try to include NCLEX questions with every exam, and not just test bank ones. Prior to each exam I do a "Druggo" game, similar to bingo, except I use M & M's for the markers, students usually like it just because they can eat the chocolate, or if allergic I use Necco wafers. One final suggestion, the NCLEX is now asking pharmacology questions using generic names and not brand or trade names. I make sure the students know both, and they are using both in clinical. Its a course that can be fun and educational for the student and for you. Good luck!

marachne · Aug 26, 2008

BigBadInstructor's comment about M&Ms reminded me of a activity that I had to do in my pharmacology class:

Every student was given a set of medications that they were supposedly prescribed. The first thing they had to do was come up with a schedule for self administration, being careful about things like drug interactions, diet issues, take w or w/o food, etc. The first assignment was to turn in this schedule.

Then we had to "take" our medicine (in the forms of M&Ms or other small edibles) for a week and then write up a reflection on our compliance and the experience.

It's a great way to generate awareness in students of some of the burden of polypharmacy on patients!

Denise RN · Apr 23, 2009

"

Re: New to teaching pharmacologyI have been teaching pharmacology since 1994, every fall and spring semester. The best advice I can give is to be enthusiastic when teaching. Pharmacology can be a very dry subject! I teach according to body systems, which gives the students a reference to the drug, disease processes, adverse reactions, and teaching the patient. If you cannot pronounce the name of the drug, or the generic form, use the audio pronounciation guide that comes with the textbook. I always try to include NCLEX questions with every exam, and not just test bank ones. Prior to each exam I do a "Druggo" game, similar to bingo, except I use M & M's for the markers, students usually like it just because they can eat the chocolate, or if allergic I use Necco wafers. One final suggestion, the NCLEX is now asking pharmacology questions using generic names and not brand or trade names. I make sure the students know both, and they are using both in clinical. Its a course that can be fun and educational for the student and for you. Good luck!

I am interested in learning more about the Druggo Game and where do you get the NCLEX Pharm questions? I am jsut starting Pharm II prep. Thank you in advance for any info/help.

BigBadInstructor · Apr 27, 2009

I found Druggo in the book: Instant Teaching tools for health care educators by Michele L. Deck. The book is from Mosby and my book is from 1995, hopefully there is a more update copy. I got a lot of different games and such from that book. The pharmacology NCLEX questions, I get from the NCLEX books, and other pharmacology textbooks. Hope this helps

alterego33 · May 3, 2009

I have taught graduate level pharmacology to nurse anesthesia students and was appalled at the lack of basic knowledge of the students. Because they knew very little about pharmacokinetics, basic metabolism of medications and even math, I found it necessary to have the students take a remedial course before starting anesthesia school.

My point here, if you are teaching at the undergraduate nursing level, please try to develop a course that is really pharmacology and not just what classes of drugs are given for various diseases. I personally think basic pharmacology should not be "dumbed down" in any program. The genetics and mechanisms of action are changing every day and our graduating RNs MUST understand more than the basics.

Goodoldnurse · May 7, 2009

I teach an online pharmacology course. Most of my students at the moment are pre-nursing and some do very well. The students have questions to answer in each module that they must find in the book. The exams are online and of course they can use their book and notes to take the exam, but many do not do very well on the exams. I have built the course myself, and will pull some of it into class during the lecture! With NCLEX-RN being 13% pharmacology, it is so important!

XIGRIS · May 14, 2009

I have taught graduate level pharmacology to nurse anesthesia students and was appalled at the lack of basic knowledge of the students. Because they knew very little about pharmacokinetics, basic metabolism of medications and even math, I found it necessary to have the students take a remedial course before starting anesthesia school.
My point here, if you are teaching at the undergraduate nursing level, please try to develop a course that is really pharmacology and not just what classes of drugs are given for various diseases. I personally think basic pharmacology should not be "dumbed down" in any program. The genetics and mechanisms of action are changing every day and our graduating RNs MUST understand more than the basics.

I'm glad you mentioned this. I see nursing students doing clinicals in my hospital and I am very surprise at the levels pharmacology is taught in school. I agree that most are below average in terms of pharmacokinetics. I have listened to some of the lectures and noticed that it is mostly "basic" and dosages and generic names etc. Would it be great if one talks about cellular effects, mechanism on how Digixon cause its positive inotropic effects not " oh dont give it if heart rate is 60 ". I think students will be able to think critically if pharm is taught in that level.

I asked an RN last night on why we use Cytotec and the answer was 'we want to induce labor'... well yeah but why, how? Anyway just venting....

Teresag_CNS · May 17, 2009

Marachne, I love the exercise you described! I, too, struggle to make Pharmacology interesting. One strategy: each class, I have students complete an exercise in application. For example, in one exercise, students had to read a case scenario, select the appropriate set of standing orders for heparin based upon the presenting problem, and complete a set of titration calculations based upon serial aPTT values. In another, they had to fill out a crossword puzzle, etc. etc.

I can relate to the lack of pharm knowledge among nurses: I have never had a stand-alone Pharmacology course! My basic prep was an AD nursing program; I think this is why. My (bachelor's program) students are getting 2 quarters of Pharm and 2 of Patho; WAY more than I ever had.