A Nurse's Survival Guide to Drugs in Practice E-BOOK

Description

The 'Nurses’ Survival Guide to Drugs in Practice' is a handy pocketbook designed to provide succinct information on a wide variety of drugs that nurses need to look up quickly. It provides an understandable and detailed account of common drugs and their actions. The level is suitable for all nurses in practice, including qualified and student nurses, as well as those taking Supplementary Prescribing Courses and will also be useful to other healthcare professionals . Pocket sized and easily transportable, it will become a constant companion both in ward and community environments. As well as the more routine use of drugs in clinical practice it covers emergency situations, such as cardiac arrest and anaphylaxis.

Reviews

"I wish this book had been available when I took the pharmacology/prescribing course...This handy, pocket-size book is well laid out and the terminology and language are clearly explained...It is suitable for novice and qualified independent nurse prescibers working in the community or hospital setting." Nursing Standard, 30 June 2010

Key Features

• Comprehensive coverage of drugs in use to offer security in any clinical setting

• Succinct and clear information in boxes, lists etc to facilitate assimilation of information ‘on the spot’

• Attractive page design and well signposted layout to enable quick access to the right information

• Flexicover to maintain quality in a clinical setting and when frequently used

• Covers basic pharmacology including drug absorption and metabolism as well as explaining how drugs actually work

• Fully up to date with government guidelines e,g, from NICE, the Resuscitation Council and the British Thoracic Society etc.

• Additional sections on the legal aspects of administering and prescribing drugs, drug calculations and paediatric doses

New to this Edition

Richards & Edwards: A Nurse’s Survival Guide to the Ward 2E - 9780443068973

Edwards & Sabato: A Nurse’s Survival Guide to Critical Care - 9780443104176

Fraser & Cooper: A Survival Guide to Midwifery - 9780443103889

Thomas: A Nurse’s Survival Guide to Leadership and Management on the Ward - 9781437717471

Elcock & Sharples: A Nurse’s Survival Guide to Mentoring - 9780702039461

Harrison & Daly: A Nurse’s Survival Guide to Acute Medical Emergencies 3E - 9780702040443

Companion Products

• A Nurse's Survival Guide to Drugs in Practice - Elsevier eBook on VitalSource : A Nurse's Survival Guide to Drugs in Practice - Elsevier eBook on VitalSource
• A Nurse's Survival Guide to Drugs in Practice - Elsevier eBook on VitalSource (Retail Access Card)

Readership

All nurses in practice: both qualified and student nurses, as well as those taking Supplementary Prescribing Courses.

Table of Contents

SECTION 1 Principles of Pharmacology

1.1 Introduction to pharmacology

1.2 The law, drugs, prescribing and medicines management

1.3 Formulation and administration

1.4 Pharmacokinetics

1.5 Pharmacodynamics

1.6 Adverse drug reactions

SECTION 2 Autonomic Nervous System

2.1 Autonomic nervous system - overview

2.2 Adrenergic pharmacology

2.3 Cholinergic pharmacology

SECTION 3 Pain, analgesia and anaesthesia

3.1 Pain, analgesia and anaesthesia - overview

3.2 Opioid analgesia

3.3 Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and paracetamol

3.4 Anaesthesia

SECTION 4 Central Nervous System

4.1 Central nervous system - overview

4.2 Chemical transmission in the brain

4.3 Epilepsy

4.4 Antipsychotics

4.5 Antidepressants and mood stabilisers

4.6 Anxiolytics and hypnotics

4.7 Neurodegenerative disorders

SECTION 5 Cardiovascular System

5.1 Cardiovascular system - overview

5.2 Hypertension

5.3 Atherosclerosis and lipid-lowering drugs

5.4 Ischaemic heart disease

5.5 Cardiac arrhythmias

5.6 Cardiac failure

5.7 Antithrombotics

SECTION 6 Respiratory, renal and gastrointestinal systems

6.1 Respiratory system

6.2 Renal system and diuretics

6.3 Gastrointestinal tract

SECTION 7 Endocrine System

7.1 Endocrine pancreas and diabetes mellitus

7.2 Pituitary gland and adrenal cortex

7.3 Disorders of bone and bone metabolism

7.4 Sex hormones

7.5 Pregnancy

SECTION 8 Chemotherapy

8.1 Cancer chemotherapy

8.2 Antimicrobial drugs

SECTION 9 Other areas of pharmacology

9.1 Herbal medicines

9.2 Paediatric pharmacology

9.3 Drugs and the elderly

9.4 Topical drugs

9.5 Emergency treatment of poisoning

References

Further reading

Appendix: drug measurement and calculation

Author Information

By Ann Richards, BA(Hons), MSc DipN(Lon), RGN,RNT, Associate Lecturer, The Open University, UK