Pharmacology Made Incredibly Easy!

Book excerpt: Get all the basics on drug therapies—and administer drugs confidently and accurately—with the newly updated Pharmacology Made Incredibly Easy, 4th Edition. Written in the enjoyable, award-winning Incredibly Easy style, this easy-to-follow, fully illustrated guide offers step-by-step direction on the medication process, from assessing patient needs, to planning care, to implementation and positive outcomes. Strengthen your understanding of your class materials, get ready for the NCLEX® or certification exam, and administer drug therapies—safely and effectively! Build a strong platform of pharmacology knowledge and skills with. . . NEW and updated content on the newest approved medications and dosages and NEW tables listing: NEW vaccines and treatment for biological weapons exposure NEW treatment and antidotes for chemical weapons exposure NEW herbal drugs content NEW icons and images that clarify content Revised and updated content on the concepts of pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacotherapeutics Pharmacology basics – How drugs are derived, developed, classified, and administered; classes of drugs by body system; their uses and mechanisms “Nurse Joy” and “Nurse Jake” illustrated characters offering tips and insights throughout Quick-scan format with concise, bulleted content Hundreds of illustrations and diagrams explaining key concepts and providing clear direction on administering drugs; drug distribution, absorption, and metabolism; potential drug interactions; adverse reactions; how different classes of drugs work in different body systems Special chapter features: Just the facts – A quick summary of chapter content Advice from the experts – Experienced practitioners’ insights Prototype pro – Actions, indications, and nursing considerations for common prototype drugs Nursing process – Patient assessment, diagnosis, outcome goals, implementation, and evaluation for each type and class of drug Pharm function – Illustrating how drugs act in the body; recognizing and treating adverse reactions Before you give that drug – Warnings to consider before you administer a drug Education edge – Information to share with your patient Quick quiz – End-of-chapter questions with answers/explanations, to help you remember the essentials End-of-book multiple-choice Q&A; Quick Guides to Medication Safety, Ophthalmic and Dermatologic Drugs, and Abbreviations to Avoid; Glossary of essential pharmacology terms.