Focus on Nursing Pharmacology » (5th Edition)

Karch

Amy Karch has found that students learn best when concepts are built upon each other, growing from simple to complex, building on a foundation of understanding.
Organized by body systems, this heavily illustrated book organizes essential nursing pharmacology information into focused, easy-to-learn steps. Building key concepts upon each other the text gives students a solid foundation of understanding. Easy to understand drug prototype boxes are integrated as well as integrated content summaries. The fifth edition includes a completely revamped art program with more images depicting drug actions than any of the book's competitors. The fifth edition also underwent major reorganization to streamline the very functional "Focus on" theme for drug use across the lifespan, cultural and gender considerations, evidence-based practice, patient teaching, herbal and alternative therapies and dosage calculations; a new box, "Focus on Safe Medication Administration;" and totally revamped "Drugs in Focus" table for each classification of drugs. Focused content and focused features equal a focused student.
     In addition, we've expanded and updated content on psychiatric agents (includes new indications, cautions and precautions), and significantly expanded information on AIDS and therapeutic management. Drug discussions include therapeutic actions and indications, pharmacokinetics, contraindications and cautions and adverse effects. Detailed rationales are presented throughout. Each chapter opens with Learning Objectives and a Glossary of Key Terms, and ends with NCLEX-style questions, and contains a case study-based critical thinking exercise that sets up a situation, shows critical thinking, and then presents a discussion and case-based nursing care guide. Features like this make the book an essential teaching tool.

Doody Review Services

Reviewer:Shari J. Lynn, RN, MSN(Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing)
Description:This well written pharmacology textbook uses different modalities as well as pathophysiology to assist the reader in understanding pharmacology. It also makes use of NCLEX review questions as well as a CD-ROM.
Purpose:The purpose is to introduce and teach pharmacology in an understandable way that gives students the basic concepts of drug therapy so they can better understand individual drugs. The objectives of this book are worthy and meet the goals of the author.
Audience:According to the author, the book is written for nursing students and is written in a format that best addresses this audience.
Features:The book covers the physiology that the author feels will help the student understand how drugs affect the body. Case studies help the student understand the dynamics of drug therapy. The CD-ROM is helpful as a learning tool.
Assessment:This book helps the student realize how physiology works with drug administration to create the desired affect. The NCLEX questions are not only helpful in bolstering students' critical thinking, but also in giving the student some insight into what may be expected from them when taking the NCLEX.