I dreaded having to take pharmacology since the day I started nursing school. Nothing sounded more tedious and difficult than memorizing thousands of medication names, interactions, possible side effects, adverse reactions, etc. The good news— this class is immensely helpful, especially if you can learn to apply what you’re learning to your role as a nursing student/soon to be nurse. What did I find to be the MOST helpful during this class (and during my career as a nurse)?! The Davis Drug Guide. This became my bible. I kept it in my work bag, and now it remains on my desk. Purchase this, (if it isn’t already a requirement for nursing school; this was part of required textbooks for my pharmacology class) it will be applicable to nursing school and throughout your nursing career!

Okay, so some basic tips to help you be successful in Passing Pharmacology and RETAINING the information throughout your nursing career.

1.Drugs will be taught based on their Therapeutic Use(antidepressants, antihypertensives, etc) and/or their Mechanism of Action (what the drug is doing to the body). Please remember that these two are not equivalent. All antidepressants do not have the same mechanism of action. Understanding the mechanism of action can help you logically reason other things, such as potential side effects. If you have a poor pharmacology teacher (like I did), find a good, simple resource guide to help you understand mechanism of action. I used the Epocrates App, and still do (the Pharmacology tab will explain mechanism of action). Download this, It’s Free!

2. Focus on Prefixes and Suffixes– memorize these! When you come across a medication on your pharmacology exam or the NCLEX, and have no ideas was it is, you can hopefully identify a prefix or suffix. Example: The question is asking about Betaxolol. You identify -lol at the end and can classify this as a cardiac medication/beta blocker (something to lower blood pressure or heart rate). Without knowing exactly what Betaxlol is, knowing it is for blood pressure or heart rate should help you answer the question. Thinking more critically.. if the question is asking about side effects, think about what could happen if the mechanism of action is too powerful (blood pressure or heart rate drop too much): dizziness, drowsiness, confusion, etc.

3. Make flash cards for each drug section as you go through it in class. Writing out the medications and reviewing them regularly will create a strong recognition/recall when you see them again on the NCLEX or on your pharmacology exam.

4. Know your therapeutic levels

Digoxin/Lanoxin 0.8-2.0 ng/ml

Lithium/Eskalith 0.8-1.5 mEq/L

Cabamazepine/Tegretol 4-10 mcg/ml

Theophylline/Aminophylline 10-20 mcg/ml

Phenytoin/Dilantin 10-20mcg/dl

Valporic Acid/Depakene 50-100 mcg/ml

4. Learn and Relearn. Study flashcards when learning about a certain drug class, then review all previously learned drug classes. Repetition is KEY to pharmacology.

5. Auditory Learners: Try Memorizing Pharmacology Audiobook. I did not personally use this, however it receives fantastic reviews!

6. Use Mnemonics. Make up your own or use others. Example: Morphine side effects:

M- myosis

O- out of it

R- respiratory depression

P- pneumonia

H- hypotension

I- infrequency (urine, bowels)

N- nausea

E- emesis

Good luck! You’ve got this. If you would like to receive an email when other blogs are posted, about nursing school success, please click the link and leave me your email.

https://forms.aweber.com/form/45/276542745.htm

Advertisements