The best
Nursing Pharmacology books:
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The best of Nursing Pharmacology books by number of unique Reddit comments:
Top Reddit reviews mentioning Nursing Pharmacology books:
Pocket Drug Guide for Nurses. Useful for administration of drugs you're not familiar with.
Medication Index. Useful for indefinitely medications by class/use. Also has other references for things like overdoses.
I used the official teas prep book. ATI TEAS Review Manual: Sixth Edition Revised https://www.amazon.com/dp/1565335759/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_59mKFbDXAEYK0
Paid for nursehub.com and did a bunch of practice tests.
Pocket prep for the teas is also a good resource, especially for doing a few questions every night on your phone.
I also suck at tests like this. Did really well in all of the pre reqs, but got a 79 on the teas. Made me have to move to an area with a program that was more gpa based and less teas.
Make your own flashcards. Make a list of drugs you don't know about that you run into at clinical. Research and study later.
I keep this on me at every clinical.
2021 Lippincott Pocket Drug Guide for Nurses https://smile.amazon.com/dp/197515889X/ref=cm_sw_r_awdo_A90NRARP6Z4FTCWR8C0Y
If you buy stuff with smile at Amazon, a portion of it goes to a non profit of your choice. Don't buy from regular Amazon, just smile.amazon.com
I used this a lot. It was nice to have due to not always having a computer available when needed.
2021 Lippincott Pocket Drug Guide for Nurses https://www.amazon.com/dp/197515889X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_T43GQTK74K5XPN19XC2R
Also this (it fit perfectly in my scrubs pockets).
Nursing Clipboard，Foldable Lightweight Aluminum Construction， Nurse clipboard are Suitable for Nurses，Doctors and Students (Black) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B098NCJDT2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_HVPKGTFQC5QX3DWCCZY4
Other than these two things, the only other things I ever took were my stethoscope, a couple pens, a pen light, and a pair of bandage scissors. Never needed anything more than that.
I frequently used this during clinical:
2021 Lippincott Pocket Drug Guide for Nurses https://www.amazon.com/dp/197515889X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_2EH2A4Z3H1Z5J5CJZRP8?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
It was especially useful to have because there weren’t always computers available when needed during clinical. As far as actual textbooks, I used e-books almost exclusively and would always take my laptop with me to class.
I haven't used it myself, but this book gets high ratings:
Pharmacology Made Incredibly Easy https://www.amazon.com/dp/1496326326/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_2BCFQ6H3YP51N92PH060?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
I pretty much used this one exclusively. There also was online content with extra practice quizzes, flashcards, etc
The same is expected in my program. Researching meds can be very time consuming when you need to write out class, safe dose, action, indication, side effects, and nursing responsibilities. Then presenting all that info eats up more of your time.
What I did was invest in these: https://www.amazon.com/Pharm-Phlash-Cards-Pharmacology-Flash/dp/080362994X
You won't find all your meds here, but there's a good amount. This will cut down at least some of your research and writing time. You'll still have to look up safe dose, specific indication, and other considerations. Also, as soon as you have access to your pt's chart, write down their important labs (LFts, Cr, and whatnot).
This summer I'm going to spend a lot of time learning the mechanism of action for common classes. This should help figure out what side effects I'll see in my pts.
Hope that helps. Hang in there!
https://www.amazon.com/Mosbys-Pharmacy-Technician-Certification-Examination/dp/0323497241
This is the book I have my students use it's pricey but worth it!
Yes, it’s a review book you can find on Amazon. It includes practice exams and online resources too. This is the book I used: Mosby’s Review for the Pharmacy Technician Certification Examination (Mosby’s Reviews)
I would say pharmacology is something people struggle with the most! We have to memorize a lot of drug names, classifications, mechanisms of action, side effects, and more. It can get confusing. I found this book on Amazon, I haven't used it but the reviews are good! Seems like a good introduction and overview of pharmacology. I wouldn't spend a ton on a textbook until you know which one your school requires!
You know what, that's not so bad. You're not too stupid. You just need to get familiarized with nursing tests. They are notorious for being written in a really confusing way. Even the dosage calculation questions. It's ok to feel bad for now. But absolutely apply for next semester. You made it this far. Don't give up now. Those days in the hospital. Something about those nurses really spoke to you. It's a sign. So take a few days to mourn, and then hit the books. Do practice questions online. Do everything you need to do to hit the ground running next semester. Because this is a setback. But in terms of a whole career it's really significant.
https://www.amazon.com/Drug-Calculations-Proportion-Problems-Clinical/dp/032331659X
This is the book I used. Try to find it cheaper online. If you live close to Los Angeles, you can just have mine.
I would say pharmacology is something people struggle with the most! We have to memorize a lot of drug names, classifications, mechanisms of action, side effects, and more. It can get confusing. You can check out this study guide I made for a recent pharm test I had, it gives some of the most important meds and a brief overview of them just to get yourself familiar.
I also found this book on Amazon, I haven't used it but the reviews are good! Seems like a good introduction and overview of pharmacology. I wouldn't spend a ton on a textbook until you know which one your school requires!
We used this textbook in Med Admin class and I liked it because you can check your answers at the back. See if there’s a newer version because after getting good at calculations, you find mistakes in their answers lol!
Drug Calculations: Ratio and... https://www.amazon.com/dp/032331659X?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf
This is the official one. I used the same one (for the 5) and did quite well. Looks like you can get a used copy for under $20.
https://www.amazon.com/Pharm-Phlash-Cards-Pharmacology-Flash/dp/080362994X
prime student get them in 48 hours. Take these with you everywhere. But remember don't get too wrapped up in pharm its a small section of the NCLEX. After all you are trying to become nurses, not pharmacists.
ATI TEAS Review Manual: Sixth Edition Revised 6th Edition
This is the OFFICIAL ONE, made by the test creator, ATI. All the rest are other companies making their own.
Best wishes to you! A lot of the details are foggy to me now, but I bought the book https://www.amazon.com/Pain-Assessment-Pharmacologic-Management-Pasero/dp/0323056962 Which is designed for doctors / nurses but was easy enough to read using Google. It helped me discuss a lot with my doctor. It doesn't necessarily match up with the current FDA / CDC regulations (which also says a lot) but helps to understand the biology and psychology. Might be worth picking up.
This is the book recommended to us by our instructors: http://www.amazon.com/NCLEX-RN-Drug-Guide-Medications-Kaplan/dp/1625231148/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1464915441&sr=8-1&keywords=NCLEX-RN+Drug+Guide
It is made so that you can tear the pages out and they be note cards as well
I personally recommend this book because it has a nice chunk of information and the section in it for calculations isn't too shabby. I would just rent and not buy it though since it's a pretty long rental period and it's pretty cheap.
I really suggest these!
They have a lot of the drugs I needed so far in class!
And this book: To read how patients have pain