Understanding Pharmacology: Essentials for Medication Safety

Understanding Pharmacology: Essentials for Medication Safety, 3rd Edition uses a unique combination of simplified language, easy-to-follow headers, and engaging boxes and icons ― such as Memory Joggers, Critical Points for Safety, Do Not Confuse, and Drug Alerts ― to help you really understand how drugs work, instead of simply memorizing drug information. Updated drug tables with nursing implications ensure you are equipped with all the tools and information you need to safely prepare and administer drugs. Online case studies help you prepare for the Next Generation NCLEX-PN® and NCLEX-RN®. Sections on "Priority Actions to Take Before," "Priority Actions to Take After," and "Teaching Priorities for Patients" emphasize important aspects of drug administration, monitoring, follow-up, and patient teaching. Life span considerations outline nursing implications for drugs used in children, older adults, and pregnant women. Math and dosage calculations review reinforces medication preparation safety. Get Ready for the NCLEX® Examination! sections at the end of each chapter summarize key points and provide review questions that reinforce important concepts learned in the chapter. An array of marginal cartoon icons in Common Side Effects boxes help visual learners remember essential drug side effects. Drug Alert and Do Not Confuse boxes highlight areas of common drug/dosage errors. Memory Jogger boxes help you retain important drug information. Try This! boxes in the math chapter allow you to practice dosage calculation concepts. NEW! Clinical Judgment questions at the end of each clinical chapter offer additional self-assessment on pharmacology and medication administration. NEW! Critical Point for Safety boxes emphasize very important pharmacologic concepts to remember. NEW! Approximately 40 animations on the companion Evolve website supplement important concepts related to understanding pharmacology. NEW! Printed answer key with rationales in the back of the book makes it easy to check your answers and assess your comprehension. UPDATED! Revised drug tables provide adult dosages and nursing implications for individual drugs.