Printable 12-page nursing pharmacology study guide covering drug classes, actions, adverse effects and nursing considerations with rationales. Instant PDF download.

This 12-page printable study guide covers the drug classes nursing students meet most often in pharmacology and medical-surgical courses. Each drug class entry lists examples, the mechanism of action, uses, key adverse effects, contraindications and numbered nursing considerations, with a rationale under each one.

What’s included:

Drug name stems table (-pril, -sartan, -olol, -xaban, -prazole and more) for identifying a drug’s class from its generic name
Cardiovascular drugs: ACE inhibitors, ARBs, beta blockers, loop diuretics, digoxin
Anticoagulants: heparin and LMWH, warfarin, DOACs
Respiratory drugs: beta2 agonists, corticosteroids
Endocrine drugs: insulin (with an onset, peak and duration table), metformin, levothyroxine
Central nervous system drugs: opioids, benzodiazepines, SSRIs
Gastrointestinal and anti-infective drugs: PPIs, penicillins and cephalosporins, aminoglycosides
Diagrams of the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system and of opioid effects at mu receptors
Antidotes and reversal agents table
Therapeutic drug monitoring table: digoxin, lithium, phenytoin, vancomycin, INR, aPTT and others