Pharmacology Review

So as many of you know, I am getting ready to take a very serious and nerve-wracking pharmacology test.  How am I preparing for this test? Well first off, my school is very generous and gives us an outline of the medications we need to know:

• Insulin (Regular, NPH, 70/30, Humalog, Lantus)

• PO Antidiabetic agents-Sulfonylureas, Biguanides, (Ex. Glucophage)

• Antihypertensives (Ex. Catapress)

• Anticoagulants (Ex. Lovenox)

• Cardiac Glycosides (Ex. Lanoxin)

• Diuretics (Ex. Lasix)

• Corticosteroids (Ex. Prednisone)

• Opioid Analgesics (Ex. Morphine)

• Bronchodilators (Ex. Albuterol)

• NSAIDS (Ex. Ibuprofen)

• Gastric Acid Pump Inhibitors (Ex. Protonix)

• Antiemetics (Ex. Phenergan)

• Laxatives (Ex. Surfak)

• Antipyretics (Ex. Tylenol)

• Antibiotics (Ex. Levaquin)

• Anticonvulsants (Ex. Dilantin)

So, YIKES, it's alot but thankfully I do have a list to go by.  Additionally we must know these things about each of the medications listed above:
"Classification, Action, Therapeutic effect, Indication/s, Side effects, & Nursing implications.
You will also need to be familiar with the onset, peak, and duration of the insulins specified."

So for me, the best way to study these is to make note cards as well as using the Mosby's pharm book I showed in this video.  I use my Davis' Drug guide and split up the card into the sections listed above.  Obviously there is no way to remember ALL of the stuff they put in the book so I try and list the most important things (if you have a Davis' Drug Guide, they make it a little easier by listing the most common side effects with an underline and the life threatening info in red lettering:

After reading through it, I begin to make my note cards.  Bear with my messy cursive! (Trust me, my handwriting is worse in print!)  I usually list another name for the drug, just in case. Though usually we are given the most common Brand name and the generic name on tests.

Then I look through my Mosby's book to see if they say anything different or imply something is important. Such as for Glyburide that it should NOT be taken during pregnancy.

 

(sorry this one is a little hard to read!)

I do the same thing for each of my cards. Then I read them over and over again.  If I'm having a particularly hard time remembering something, I'll usually pull out a piece of notebook paper and try to write it down from memory until I get it.  Pharmacology was my hardest pre-req class and is something I'm sure I'll struggle with throughout my nursing school journey.  To me it's just so difficult trying to remember all the different side effects and implications for each medication. Hopefully I'll get better at it through my programs.

Dosage calculations on the other hand, I am pretty good at.  For me, once I know how to set up the formula I'm good to go.  I also have to remember my conversions.  I think a lot of schools have different conversions they like to go by but these are ours:

• 1000 mL = 1L
• 500 mL = 1/2 L or 1 pt.
• 240-250 mL= 1 cup
• 30 mL = 1 oz
• 15 mL= 1/2 oz or 1 Tb.
• 4-5 mL = 1 Tsp. or 1 dram
• 1 mL= 1 cc or 15-16 minums
• 1 kg = 2.2 lbs
• 1 in = 2.5 cm
• 1 grain = 60 mg
• 1 gram = 15 grains
• 1000 mEq = 1 Eq
• 1 mL = 1 gtt (drop)
• 1 mg = 1000 mcg
• Macro drip = 10-15
• Micro drip = 60

 During our regular tests we aren't allowed to use calculators but during this special pharm exam we are.  I believe that's what messed me up a few times this last semester as well as many of my classmates. Dosage calculations are really simple, the trick is just finding the extraneous info, throwing it out and using only what you need.  My school uses dimensional analysis to solve our dosage problems but there are many other methods.  Here is a great DA video I found on youtube, I'm no math teacher so I thought I'd post this!


All that being said, I hope this helped you :)