10 Tips for Studying Pharmacology
Studying Pharmacology can seem scary. When I started nursing school, I didn’t know where to begin. I found two really helpful resources to solve this problem: the Saunders Review for the NCLEX-RN Examination and the Pharmacology 10th edition – A Patient-Centered Nursing Process Approach book.
Pharmacology used to frighten me at the beginning of nursing school. The Saunders Review book is the main resource I used to pass my Pharmacology class, and I still use it every day for my other classes.
Here are my top 10 tips for studying Pharmacology, using the help of the Saunders Review book and your textbook. These tips will make Pharmacology feel easier.
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1. Make cards for each drug or drug group. I prefer writing them out by hand. This helps me remember the material.
2. Focus on studying drug categories instead of each drug individually. This way, you’ll understand all the drugs in a group, why they’re used, what to do, and what side effects to expect. It’s less confusing.
3. Know that drugs in the same category share similarities (like side effects). The small differences will stand out and help you remember.
4. Before making a study plan, figure out what areas you need to review. A good way to do this is by answering NCLEX-style questions in the review book and your textbook. Once you know the answer and why, move on to the next concept.
5. Learn how to give medications safely. Know the five rights of medication administration (right patient, right drug, right dose, right route, and right time) and how to give medications correctly (like by mouth, under the skin, or into a muscle).
6. If you’re in a clinical situation and don’t know a medication, stop and look it up. You can use drug guides, Lexicomp, or even call a pharmacy for help. Remember, patient safety comes first.
7. Make a study plan or schedule. I print a blank calendar and fill in what I need to study each day. I adjust it as needed. Start studying early and review 24-48 hours before the exam. A study calendar helps you see what to do each day and change it if needed.
8. Read or skim through a chapter at least twice. The first time, just go through it without highlighting or taking notes. On the second read, focus on bolded words, boxed information, visuals, and triangles.
Remember, studying Pharmacology can be more manageable with these tips and the right resources. Good luck!
10 Study Tips for Pharmacology
Studying Pharmacology can be daunting. The most common problem I experienced when I started nursing school was not knowing where to start. The two primary references that I found incredibly helpful in resolving this issue were the Saunders Review for the NCLEX-RN Examination and Pharmacology 10th edition – A Patient-Centered Nursing Process Approach book.
How to Study Nursing Throughout Your Busy Day
Pharmacology used to scare me when I started nursing school. The Saunders Review book is the top resource that I used to pass my Pharmacology course, and I continuously use it every day when studying for my other classes.
Here are my top 10 Pharmacology study tips when preparing for class and clinicals with the help of the Saunders Review book and your textbook. These tips will help make Pharmacology feel like a breeze.
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- Make drug cards for each drug or a drug card for each drug classification. I prefer handwriting my drug cards. This helps me retain the material in my memory.
- Try to study the classifications of medications instead of studying each drug. This will allow you to understand all medications within a drug class, the indications for the use of the drugs, the interventions, and the adverse effects. This process is less confusing than the latter.
- Understand that the medications in the same classifications share many of the same characteristics (I.e., adverse effects). The subtle differences between them stand out that will help you remember.
- Evaluate the areas or topics you need to review before building your study plan to avoid overstudying. A good tool that I found useful to evaluate myself was by completing NCLEX style questions located within each chapter of the review book and my textbook. Once I know the answer to the question and understand the rationale behind it, I move on to the next concept.
- Make sure you know how to administer medications safely. This includes knowing at minimum the five rights of medication administration (right patient, right drug, right dose, right route, and right time) and how to administer medications safely and accurately by the prescribed route (i.e. PO, Subcut, IM, etc).
- Whenever you are in a clinical situation and you are not familiar with a medication, STOP and look the medication up. Looking up medication can be done in many different ways from using the handy-dandy drug guides, using Lexicomp, or even calling a pharmacy for clarification. Always remember that the patient’s safety comes first.
- Create a study plan or calendar. I print out a blank calendar from the internet and fill each day with content from the content/drugs that I am required to know while making a few tweaks on which content I want to review further. A good rule of thumb is to begin studying as early as possible and review at least 24-48 hours prior to taking the exam. Creating a study calendar allows you to visually see what you will be doing day by day and alter it as you see fit
. - Read or skim through the information at least twice when reviewing a chapter. I recommend skimming through the chapter the first time without highlighting or jotting down notes. Then on your second read-through, focus on the information that is typically bolded, placed in boxes, is visually drawn, and/or has a triangle next.