Pharmacology study guides
One-page references for the facts that come up again and again in pharmacology exams and in clinicals.
- Drug Suffixes and Prefixes for Nursing PharmacologyThe generic-name stems that tell you a drug's class at a glance: -olol, -pril, -sartan, -statin, -prazole and more, with examples and the nursing point to remember for each.
- Antidotes and Reversal Agents Nurses Must KnowThe antidote or reversal agent for each high-risk drug and poisoning, from naloxone and flumazenil to protamine, vitamin K, digoxin immune fab and acetylcysteine.
- Therapeutic Drug Levels for Nursing: Digoxin, Lithium, Phenytoin and MoreCommonly cited therapeutic ranges for narrow-range drugs, with the signs of toxicity and when to draw the level. Laboratory ranges vary: always use your lab's reference range.
- High-Alert Medications: What Nurses Need to KnowThe medication groups the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) calls high-alert because errors can cause serious harm, and the safety practices nurses use with each.
- The Rights of Medication AdministrationThe rights nurses check before every medication, the three label checks, patient identification, and what to do when something does not match.
- How to Study Pharmacology in Nursing SchoolA practical way to learn hundreds of drugs: study by class, learn the prototype, use the suffixes, focus on what you must assess, and practice with exam-style questions.
- Labs and Assessments to Check Before Giving Common MedicationsThe vital sign or lab value nurses check before giving common high-risk drugs: digoxin, diuretics, warfarin, heparin, insulin, metformin, lithium, clozapine, vancomycin and more.
- Boxed Warnings (Black Box Warnings) for NursingEvery boxed warning for the drugs in this guide, in one list.