When you were new, how did you learn meds?

Nurses General Nursing

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I'm curious how you learned meds when you started off as a new RN?

I started med training in a nursing home. We have 98 residents, each resident has about 10 medications or more. The way they are teaching me, is to just give the drug. I don't know anything about them yet Im giving them. I dont feel good- I know my professors would be ashamed of me.

But at the same time, how am I supposed to look up all those drugs when I'm so limited in time? What can I do to make sure I practice safely and complete my meds on time?

Thank you

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Specializes in Peds Homecare.

When I went to nursing school, we had to make drug cards. During clinicals, every patient's medications had to be looked up and a card made. Plus we had pharmacology class where we learned medications as well as calculations. By the time I graduated, I had learned many frequently prescribed drugs. There is no way that you can know them all at first. But you don't have the time to look every unfamilar drug up. Maybe you could make a list and study them at night or when you're not working.

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Specializes in PP, Pediatrics, Home Health.

I made my own drug cards with recipe cards.It really helped me because I could carry it in my scrub pockets and just take them out when I needed them.I also categorized them.I kept blood pressure and diuretic medications together,antibiotics, and blood thinners all together etc. etc. It made it so much easier to find the drugs that I was looking for and because I had made them myself(it took me hours to do though)it made it easier for me to remember the drugs.

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Perhaps, google drugs that are commonly prescribed for older adults and learn them. Also, when I worked in a LTC, I always brought my drug guide with me. I knew most of the meds that were prescribed. But, for the ones I didn't know, I looked them up. Didn't take that long.

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Specializes in Med-surge, hospice, LTC, tele, rehab.

Fortunately I had worked as a hospital pharmacy technician before and during nursing school. That helped me a lot. But if there were any meds I was unsure of after I was a nurse, I always checked a drug book. Eventually you just memorize what they are for, normal dosages, etc.

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I made drug cards and studied them when I could. I wrote the classification of the med, nursing implications, pt teaching, side effects and whatever I thought was important and was a must know like must take with food or avoid such and such with this med...sounds like a lot but every drug only took up one note card each. We were also taught that since as you know it is impossible to know every drug then if we knew classifications then it would make it a little bit easier like if I see something that ends with olol I think Beta adrenergic blocker and I know what they do..etc... Also theres this cute little book that will fit in your purse called second edition Mosby's pharmacology Memory Notecards and it has funny pictures and Mnemonics that make learning/memorizing drugs easy and less stressfull. I know it sounds like a lot but i carry the notecards and the little book in my bag all the time and just look at it when im not doing anything or in a long car ride when my husbands driving and its helped me a lot.

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Future nursing student here...can someone please elaborate why it is important to know all of the drugs? You're not prescribing, right? I mean an NP or MD has already decided that XYZ drug at XYZ dosage is what is needed for a patient so I don't understand why you would need to know everything about the drugs other than to recognize what is what so that you know the dispensary put the right pills in the cup. Sorry to be ignorant about this!

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Specializes in LTC, Psych, Hospice.
Future nursing student here...can someone please elaborate why it is important to know all of the drugs? You're not prescribing, right? I mean an NP or MD has already decided that XYZ drug at XYZ dosage is what is needed for a patient so I don't understand why you would need to know everything about the drugs other than to recognize what is what so that you know the dispensary put the right pills in the cup. Sorry to be ignorant about this!

You need to know what you are giving, usual doses, side effects to look for, any contraindications. It isn't safe to give a pt meds that you don't know anything about.

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Specializes in Cardiology and ER Nursing.

Basically it help to start out learning the various classes of drugs and what they are for then learn the specific meds in those classes how they work, any side effects ect. Start general and get more specific.

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Specializes in student; help!.
Future nursing student here...can someone please elaborate why it is important to know all of the drugs? You're not prescribing, right? I mean an NP or MD has already decided that XYZ drug at XYZ dosage is what is needed for a patient so I don't understand why you would need to know everything about the drugs other than to recognize what is what so that you know the dispensary put the right pills in the cup. Sorry to be ignorant about this!

Mostly because no matter who prescribed it, drew it up, put it in the cup, or mixed it, if you give it, you're responsible if the pt goes south because of the med. It's a Big Deal.

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I suggest you relax and dont beat yourself up,the knowledge of medications will come with experience once you see it over and over,you'l start to remember different case scenerios and everything will click in for you you will understand why certain drugs are given like for example you have couple of patients with low hemoglobin than you will expect MD to order Iron but , hands on learning is a best method,trust me this is more knowledge than any book can give you...also you can read up on meds on your spare time.

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Specializes in acute care med/surg, LTC, orthopedics.
Future nursing student here...can someone please elaborate why it is important to know all of the drugs? You're not prescribing, right? I mean an NP or MD has already decided that XYZ drug at XYZ dosage is what is needed for a patient so I don't understand why you would need to know everything about the drugs other than to recognize what is what so that you know the dispensary put the right pills in the cup. Sorry to be ignorant about this!

In addition to what others have said, it might help to remember that nurses are self-regulated, *accountable* health professionals. Doctors prescribe, pharmacists dispense and nurses administer. Doctors and pharmacists are not our bosses, we are our OWN bosses, responsible and accountable for our own practice. We have every right to dispute and/or withhold a medication that we deem unsafe or inappropriate for our patient hence why it is crucial to "never give a drug you don't know". It's our licenses that are on the line.

But you will learn all that in school, good luck with your studies.

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