Pharmacology

avahnel, ASN, RN · Nov 16, 2008

Prentice Hall has the reviews and rationales series. They have a Pharmacology one. I don't know if they review the side effects, maybe you could look at it at the library before you consider buying it. I have seen them on Ebay.

soon2bRN516 · Nov 16, 2008

Someone got me the Mosby's flash cards for pharm and they are great. I used them when I had it and got an A in the course.....I would definetly recommend them....

Silk_Daisy · Nov 16, 2008

Although your instructor is reading straight from the powerpoint she may be stressing certain things about a medication, she/he may be saying something about a med that is important but you didn't catch it because it is already on the powerpoint. My nursing school also uses powerpoint and my instructor reads it also, but she also stresses certain things like, NEVER GIVE TO, or ALWAYS check for, at that point I make myself a note and I can guarantee that the information WILL be on the test. Hope this helps.

chocha003 · Nov 16, 2008

Thanks guys! I'll let you know how I do my test is Tuesday! Wish me luck! :up:

jadu1106 · Nov 16, 2008

Hi, maybe this may help you also. Another student made a pharm website and it has helped alot of people. Here is the link, maybe you can check it out and see if it helps you! Good luck! :)

https://allnurses.com/forums/f197/i-made-pharm-quiz-those-you-who-have-problems-studying-meds-names-215872.html

luckygurl

intuition · Nov 16, 2008

I know this may not help you much, but I found that when I applied the drugs to a disease that it was used for, it really helped me understand the drug. Our teacher keeps stressing it isn't about memorizing anymore, we now have to move up to the critical thinking level.

So, since my nursing classes seem to be following the same disease processes at the same time, I have been making out flow sheets for each disease process that they test on. I include the pathophys, the meds, and the nursing interventions. This has really helped me to see the whole picture.

I am not going to pretend this is easy, but it is just a suggestion.

Daytonite has a wonderful critical thinking flow chart that is an example of the above. I started to use her sheet, and since then my grades have drastically improved this semester.

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Nov 16, 2008

you need to get your own copy of a nursing drug reference. there are a number of them published for sale on the market. the one that i have (2007 mosby's nursing drug reference) boldfaces the serious or life threatening side effects of drugs. these specific side effects are also referred to in the nursing considerations section of each drug as symptoms you will monitor the patient for. so, for drugs like gentamycin you need to know has a serious side effect of ototoxicity (deafness), the very serious side effect of potassium chloride is dysrhythmias, cardiac depression and cardiac arrest and good old acetaminophen (tylenol) can cause liver failure (with overdose), kidney failure (with high prolonged doses) and hemolytic anemia (with long term use). you will only learn these from looking them up and memorizing them at this stage of your learning. not every drug has these terrible side effects. i pulled the 3 i listed off the top of my head because they are notorious and i have seen patients that got these side effects. that's how common and serious they are! if there are any questions on your nclex it will be about these types of notorious side effects that can injure a patient.