Pharmacology - best way to learn

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Pharmacology is coming at me fast and furious...:nailbiting: I'd like to know what are some helpful tips to get medications learned. I realize most textbooks use the body system approach, however I feel like I need to memorize like the top 50 drugs used in nursing school to at least have the appearance of being competent. After that I'll be able to connect the dots into body systems , patho and nursing management. Just the words and spelling alone are a task in itself to learn. Any website or resource has what are the top drugs a student should be expected to know? How did you learn pharm?

Specializes in CVICU/ER.

As a student instructor while I was in school.........learn the Mechanisms of action of all the classes of drugs and you can figure out anything you need to know. That is the key to learning forever as opposed to memorizing.

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contributed by another AN member!
Don't trust 'em... I have it on good authority that the author is a chump. :-)
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Personally, I'd get a copy of Lippincott's Illustrated Review of Pharmacology... absolutely the BEST book out there for a broad overview of the topic in concise terms... without all the inane section headings and stupid cartoons from the "Incredibly Easy" books.

I almost threw away my set of flashcards (and realized that I made a bunch for Micro and Physiology, too) but just couldn't bring myself to.

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Can you direct me to the stickies...I can't seem to find them

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This is soooo helpful, thank you so much! !:yes:

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I have taught pharmacology at a nursing school for six years and I understand your frustration. It's something called the "Curse of Knowledge" where an instructor can't understand why a student doesn't get it, because they have been teaching so long. Instructors often don't know how much is enough or too much to give students, I wrote a book about the problem and provided a solution. You can get a free view of my explanation on Amazon.com or Lulu.com under Memorizing Pharmacology: A Relaxed Approach. I'm also TonyPharmD and have a bunch of free pronunciation videos on YouTube.com from an old edition.

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Thank you SO much for this! Fantastic study material.

Yogi Nurse

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Read everything in your sylabus. Memorize only groups, I made rhymes with the body system and disease they're used for (may not apply to all). Keep your A&P in mind as you read about them.

Put the flash cards away, link the drug group to their targeted body system (don't try to make flash cards/notes out of it), and to what that group of meds is supposed to do about the problem in that body system. Also remember, that meds that go in always get some kind of filtration/metabolization. It's mainly metabolized by the liver and excited by the kidneys.

Example of THINKING PROCESS as you read on meds:

corticoid steroids

-grouped by= the "-sone"/"-solone" ending (i.e. prednisone)

-system= endocrine >>>adrenal hormones>>>Results in +++corticoids in circulation

-corticoid's function (A&P)= systemic effect (incr Na, decr K=decr inflammation/immunity)

-THEREFORE= pt should have decrease inflammation/slowed immunity

-WHICH MEANS= this drug treats autoimmune diseases, plays a role in tx of some cancers, or may be given to supplement the absence of natural produced corticoid steroid.

-SO I'M GOING TO WATCH OUT FOR {more A&P}= rapid weight increases (b/c incr Na), N/V/Diarrhea/CV events (b/c decr K), fevers & mouth care (b/c decr immunity), decreased BM function (b/c Bone Marrow+immunity are linked), bone fractures (b/c decr BM+bone density are linked), decr liver function (b/c steroids are synthesized from fat=by liver), glucose may incr (b/c glucose is a component of steroids)...

The the list will go on and on, with interactions, and complications. You know all this A&P, is just a matter of linking the meds to each body system and prioritizing on early signs of progress or worsening of condition.

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Pharmacology was my weak link during nursing school too! What I did was, as I encountered each med, I made an excel document and started clumping everything together as far as classes, drugs associated with the classes (Write down there generic and brand name because NCLEX only uses generic names), and all of the information school and clinicals require me to know such as MOA's, vitals, labs, common/severe side effects and nursing considerations to watch for. I made my pharm notes available to everyone, its free. Its on the app stores or through our website nclexessentials.barcalabs.com. Good luck

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I don't see the stickies at the bottom of the main Nursing Student Assistant page. I only see a list of sponsors. Am I overlooking it or have the stickies been moved?

Not quite sure what I'm looking for. I do see at the bottom of this page a list of Must Read Topics. Is that the same thing as stickies?

Thanks for your help.

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I would go with flow charts.

With a flow chart you can make sense of their main system. So if you have a CNS medication you can pretty much say it affects the CNS, or if you have an anti-diarrheal (digestive system).

Then with adverse reactions, toxicity, interactions, and contraindications you can compare with other medications.

I didn't do any of that this year (I relied on flashcards) but I would have gotten a better grade if I did. You'll find that Pharm is really about comparing medications and their affect on the users, and the interactions.

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formula calculation of medication doses

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