Everything Nurses >> Rx Corner >> how much drugs do i need to remember
how much drugs do i need to remember
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Posted 3 months ago cause theres so many, how many would you suggest? right now im studying the common ones for each symptom, like pain, heart failure (if thats even a symptom) but you get the idea |
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| Posted 3 months ago There are so many drugs and while you are in school you do need to know your meds but don't look @ the common side effects like nausea~ vomitng ~ diarrhea ~ constipation or things like that, cuz they all cause that. Look @ things in bold that are unique to that drug. Alot of drugs will cause liver failure because meds are metabolized by the liver and can cause kidney toxicity because they are excreted by the kidneys. Look @ classifications and group them that way. Statins are an example of a drug that causes liver failure. Trying to remember everything about every drug will drive you crazy. I am guessing that you are student and possible that you are taking a Pharm course. right? Some meds will be used so much that you will just naturely know them. BUT... any RN worth her weight in gold will tell you that on the floor you DO NOT trust your memory for drugs .... LOOK IT UP AND BE SURE. I made flash cards for the common drugs that I needed to study and carrried them with me and did them when I ever I had a few free moments like waiting in the docs office or the grocery line or during lunch break @ work. It has helped. ONE semester to go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ~~Cheryl~~ Our service to others is the rent we pay while here on earth!! |
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| Posted 3 months ago so how many common ones are there? |
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| Posted 3 months ago There are meds that you will see over and over such as Tylenol, stool softners, laxatives, percocet, morphine, it's hard to list them but you will know them when you see them. . Once you start on clinicals (if you haven't already) and you start to gives meds - you will start noticing that you see certain meds over and over. I made the flash cards each week from my clinicals when I saw certain meds coming up. The ones that keep coming up will get stuck in your head. I just can't list them and if you haven't started giving meds yet don't feak yourself out by trying to memorize things ahead of time. There are too many meds to try and learn them all. LIke I said look @ the one side effect that is different for that med and learn your Autonomic Nervous System & Central nervous system and if you know what the med works on you can determine if it will cause bradycardia or respiratory depression or other side effects. Our service to others is the rent we pay while here on earth!! |
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| Posted 3 months ago There is really no way for any one person to remember all the drugs out there. But to me the ones I had to remember are the ones used for a code and the order you give them in. Those are the ones you don't have time to look up. And also insulins. I remember several test questions about insulin like if they are long or short acting, cloudy or clear, that kind of stuff. It'll come to you and before you know it you will know more about drugs and what they do and what they are for than you ever thought you would. Nursing it's how I live my life..... |
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| Posted 3 months ago charles101 says ...
Learn your categories: beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, diuretics, cortocosteroids, etc. Once you understand the categories, then you will know the fundamentals that apply to most if not all drugs in that category. Then you can learn the most common drugs in those categories: example, Lasik for loop diueretics. You will not learn it all in nursing school. My drug book was my best friend the first 2 years I practiced. |
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| Posted 3 months ago thanks
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| Posted 3 months ago Theala, what drug book would you recommend? |
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| Posted 3 months ago theala says ...
perfect! Learn the categories, think of the main diseases.......I know sounds crazy. What I did to study for NCLEX years ago, I made notebooks up. Thats way too unorganized actually. When I was doing my ACLS about 4 yrs ago, I made flash cards. If I write stuff down, I remember better. Btw, I've had my ACLS for about 8 years and I still go through anxiety with it, the megacode on the test still makes me have to go to the bathroom like right then. Ive worked on many codes at work, but when a real code is going down, its easier and everything falls into place. Im one of the people who have the famous illness testidus.......actually I made that up just now. Im fearful of tests. I have to study everything many times. The flash cards helped me. Just do one card per group such as antiemetics, antidiabetic......stuff like that. Or just ignore this post, lol. When my flash cards get all dogeared, I make fresh ones. Oh, and I highlight stuff too........helps. We only have one heart, take care of it! Angie |
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| Posted 3 months ago MichelleReade says ...
They are all basically good. I prefer the way Nursing 2009's is organized over Mosby's but that's just my personal quirk. You want a book you feel comfortable with, and can find stuff in quickly. I do like the seperate book for IV medications (comes spiral bound, can't remember the title). It has much more useful information for giving drugs IV. |
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| Posted 2 months ago Yeah, the IV drug Bible...I think the authors are Gahart & Nazareno? Should be close. Couldn't live without that one. |
