Pharmacology for Nurses 2nd Edition

Book Preface

Pharmacology for Nurses is an earnest attempt to provide  a fundamentally solid yet quickly learnable foundation  from which to teach nursing pharmacology courses. It  was created to provide an alternative pharmacology  textbook for nurses to those previously available. There  is a tendency for nursing pharmacology textbooks to be  either overly complex or overly simplified for the needs  of nursing students. This is not to say comprehensive  pharmacology textbooks are not of value. It is a simple fact of the education paradigm that pharmacology  must be a component of nursing education, but there is  insufficient time to delve into the details of each topic during the regular curriculum. Therefore, the authors  recognized a need for a “core” pharmacology textbook  that not only provides a solid foundation for nurses but  also is compatible with the realities of course constraints  encountered in any curriculum.

The textbook is divided into three major sections. The  first section provides the general information needed to  make the student comfortable with both how pharmacology fits into professional nursing and the mathematical  foundation on which later sections are based. The second  section is intended to provide basic pharmacology and  is arranged by organ or physiologic system. The reader’s  previous understanding of physiology is usually assumed, so physiology review is minimized in order to more directly address common systems of drug receptors utilized  for medical interventions. The third section is dedicated  to the physiologic systems that, though regularly encountered in practice, are not considered primary systems. After reading this textbook, presumably in association with pharmacology courses offered, it is hoped  the essentials for capable professional nursing practice  will be afforded, while offering a nonintimidating presentation of the topic. It is our hope that this instills a  true interest in pursuing more in-depth pharmacology  education as situations inevitably present themselves in  everyday professional nursing practice

Pharmacology for Nurses is an earnest attempt to provide  a fundamentally solid yet quickly learnable foundation  from which to teach nursing pharmacology courses. It  was created to provide an alternative pharmacology  textbook for nurses to those previously available. There  is a tendency for nursing pharmacology textbooks to be  either overly complex or overly simplified for the needs  of nursing students. This is not to say comprehensive  pharmacology textbooks are not of value. It is a simple fact of the education paradigm that pharmacology  must be a component of nursing education, but there is  insufficient time to delve into the details of each topic  during the regular curriculum. Therefore, the authors  recognized a need for a “core” pharmacology textbook  that not only provides a solid foundation for nurses but  also is compatible with the realities of course constraints  encountered in any curriculum.

The textbook is divided into three major sections. The  first section provides the general information needed to  make the student comfortable with both how pharmacology fits into professional nursing and the mathematical  foundation on which later sections are based. The second  section is intended to provide basic pharmacology and  is arranged by organ or physiologic system. The reader’s  previous understanding of physiology is usually assumed,  so physiology review is minimized in order to more directly address common systems of drug receptors utilized  for medical interventions. The third section is dedicated  to the physiologic systems that, though regularly encountered in practice, are not considered primary systems.

After reading this textbook, presumably in association with pharmacology courses offered, it is hoped  the essentials for capable professional nursing practice  will be afforded, while offering a nonintimidating presentation of the topic. It is our hope that this instills a  true interest in pursuing more in-depth pharmacology  education as situations inevitably present themselves in  everyday professional nursing practice particular drugs, including dosage, interactions, and contraindications.

Drug Classifications
Drugs are classified by how they affect certain body systems, such as the use of bronchodilators for respiratory conditions; by their  therapeutic use, such as antinausea; or based  on their chemical characteristics, such as  beta-blockers. Many may fit into more than  one drug classification due to the various  effects that they exert in the body. Because  drugs in the same class have many features  in common, categorizing them in these ways  helps nurses become familiar with many  of the drugs they are administering. For  example, although there are many types of  angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors,  they have many common side effects.