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5 STUDY TIPS FOR NURSING SCHOOL PHARMACOLOGY
NURSING ADVICE
5 Nursing School Pharmacology Study Tips
By Stephanee Beggs, RN
Trying To Memorize Every single drug is not a realistic way to study pharmacology. Instead, try these simple but effective learning techniques to master medications.
YOU ARE JUST ABOUT TO LAUNCH into a new semester of nursing school, so let’s set you up for success! These tips will help you with time management, effective studying, and selfcare so that you can make the most of your nursing experience.
1. STUDY THE CLASS, NOT THE DRUG
Let’s be realistic; we are expected to be familiar with thousands of drugs. Learning by individual drugs will drive you out of nursing school. Instead, study by medication class. Learn how to recognize a drug by prefix or suffix to identify the medication class it belongs to. If you understand that class, you will know everything about every drug that falls within it.
2. ACTIVE LEARNING
I swear by this type of learning style and information retention!
Engage in active learning techniques, like summarizing information in your own words, teaching the material to a friend or family member, or participating in group discussions or study groups. Studies show that you are more likely to remember material if you repetitively say the material out loud. So, use these methods to reinforce your understanding of pharmacological concepts!
3. PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE
The best way to become confident in your knowledge is to practice NCLEX-style questions centered on pharmacology. Use context clues within the question to guide you on what drug is presented. Consider what you know about the drug class and apply that to your answer options. But the real golden rule?? Study your rationale. Review the rationales both for content and clarification regarding why the answer you chose is correct or incorrect.
Pharmacology can be overwhelming, but it's essential to stay on top of it consistently. To avoid procrastination, break your study tasks into smaller, manageable chunks.
4. BREAK DOWN STUDYING INTO MANAGEABLE CHUNKS
Pharmacology can be overwhelming, but it's essential to stay on top of it consistently. To avoid procrastination, break your study tasks into smaller, manageable chunks. At the start of each semester, I created a study plan outlining each class's pharmacology topics. I aimed to study 2-3 medication classes every day. The key was daily revision; I reviewed the topics I'd covered in the previous days along with the new material. This consistent cycle of repetition and memory recall helped me grasp pharmacology effectively.
5. UTILIZE OUTSIDE SOURCES
What helped me most was using external learning sources like YouTube and pre-made nursing study materials. Pharmacology often involves complex mechanisms and structures. Utilize visual aids like flashcards to help you understand drug classifications, mechanisms of action, and side effects.
STEPHANEE BEGGS is a registered nurse in Los Angeles, California, who unintentionally became viral on social media for her quick, concise educational tools that led to the creation of RNExplained, Inc. In addition, she teaches pharmacology in the classroom and medical concepts on various social media platforms to educate millions of nurses and nursing students around the globe.
