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Essential Drug Card Guidelines for Nursing

The document outlines essential information for nursing students regarding drug cards, emphasizing the importance of knowing generic names over brand names for NCLEX exams. It details key concepts such as pharmacological action, therapeutic effects, side effects, and contraindications of medications. Additionally, it introduces the classification of drugs based on their potential harm during pregnancy and discusses synergistic effects of medications.

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cece077
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24 views1 page

Essential Drug Card Guidelines for Nursing

The document outlines essential information for nursing students regarding drug cards, emphasizing the importance of knowing generic names over brand names for NCLEX exams. It details key concepts such as pharmacological action, therapeutic effects, side effects, and contraindications of medications. Additionally, it introduces the classification of drugs based on their potential harm during pregnancy and discusses synergistic effects of medications.

Uploaded by

cece077
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Perfect Drug Card & Safe Medication Admin

Fundamentals of Nursing

Contraindication
Drug cards have so much info on them & usually students like yourself are shoved into a corner and told to
memorize all this info on these drug cards
The Fab 5: the top 5 things you have to know on your drug cards

Each drug has only 1 generic name


Brand name
NCLEX only tests on generic names NOT brand/trade names
Brand name
Brand Name Brand name
Generic Name
Name (Trade Name) Ibuprofen
Advil Motrin Tylenol
Coumadin 2 mg Ibuprofen

Warfarin Coumadin warfarin Acetaminophen

Ibuprofen Advil, Motrin Generic name Generic name Generic name


Acetaminophen Tylenol

Pharmacological Action: the desired action of the medication Anti-infectives Anticoagulant


Antihypertensives
Example:
Class Anti-infectives → Antibiotics: Penicillin
Anticoagulant → Heparin or Warfarin
Penicillins warfarin
2 mg
Labetalol

Antihypertensives → Labetalol

Mech of Chemical action: How does the drug work in the body?
Example: icil
lin
s

Action
n

Penicillin mech action breaks down the cell wall of bacteria Pe

to destroy it! Bacterial Cell Wall

Therapeutic Effect: What is the expected effect of the drug?


1 drug may have two effects at once
Indication Example:
Antibiotics that specialize in ear infections, GI infections,
skin infections, etc.

Side Expected effects of med


Effects Example: Nausea & vomiting Nausea Vomiting

The pregnancy warnings of drugs KEY TERMS


Therapeutic Effect: Expected Response for medication
Ex. Giving vicodin for pain = decreased pain!
A Safest Side Effect: Expected effects from a medication
Classifield Ex. Gave pain med → nausea & vomiting
B by level Adverse Effect: Unexpected effects, Severe response!
(not a SE)
C of potential Ex. Allergic reaction (hives, respiratory distress)
harm to Toxic Effect: Accumulation of medication in the blood!
D Ex. Overdosing, long term intake of
fetus medication, difficulties eliminating the
X Dangerous medication (renal failure, elderly clients)

Synergistic Effect:
When giving similar meds together → they have
Tylenol
a greater impact than when given alone
Acetaminophen

Ex. Pain medication + drinking alcohol,


Caffeine + Adderall Adderall

Contraindications:
When NOT to give a medication
Ex. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) + Liver disease

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