Table of Contents
Below is a list of must-have drug calculation and pharmacology textbooks for nursing students and nurses alike. Congratulations on joining the most respected profession on earth! Now…time for textbooks and study and hard work. Well, most of the TAFE’s & Universities will have their own list of suggested textbooks and resources. Each UNI/TAFE differs slightly with which ‘main’ textbooks they use.
However, below we suggest some of the drug calculation and pharmacology MUST HAVE RESOURCES regardless of which university. These are books and resources that most nursing students or nurses you ask in Australia will have used during their studies or still use since graduating. So if you are about to start nursing school or are currently studying and struggling with drug calculations and pharmacology, then trust us…these are going to become a MASSIVE HELP and you’ll wish you got them earlier! So let’s get to it!
My favourite 3 online book stores for the cheapest books are Zookal, The Book Depository Australia and QBD Books
Check out our student/graduate nurse articles and guides
Drug Calculation and Pharmacology Textbooks
Essential Aussie Drugs: A little pocket book of Aussie Drugs 2e
EVERY nursing student needs this! Carry with you on placement to look up drugs you don’t know.
Nearly 3400 drug names organised alphabetically
Trade & Generic names, Drug class, and Indication for almost any drug you will administer.
Definitions of >900 medical abbreviations.
Review of commonly used drug suffices.
A brief summary of the Mechanism of Action for 49 common drug classes.
CLINICAL DOSAGE CALCULATIONS + GOT IT!
Our second MUST HAVE for anyone struggling with adult or paediatric drug calculations including complex IV calculations!!! An applied skills-focused text, the authors use real-life cases, worked examples and real medication charts and labels to engage students.
Starting with the fundamental skills to help students deal with mathematics and familiarise themselves with medication charts and labels, the text then moves on to specialist area chapters, allowing students to deepen their skills in a clinical context. Students engage in the activities of each chapter as an introduction to the concept before moving onto the final chapter where they can test their overall knowledge.
HAVARD’S Nursing GUIDE to drugs
Impress your preceptors on placement!! The premier drug guide for nurses and midwives since 1983.
Now in its 10th edition, Havard’s Nursing Guide to Drugs continues to provide reliable, accurate drug information for nursing and midwifery students and practitioners. This user-friendly drug guide delivers safe, up-to-date drug administration information regarding form, action, use, dose, adverse effects and interactions in compliance with current pharmaceutical guidelines from the Therapeutic Goods Administration and MIMS. Nursing points and cautions highlight best practice in drug administration and expanded focus on Patient teaching and advice ensures quality patient care.
MOSBY’s Pharmacology Memory NoteCards
Bring key pharmacology topics to life in a flash! Mosby’s Pharmacology Memory NoteCards: Visual, Mnemonic, and Memory Aids for Nurses, 5th Edition uses humor, illustrations, and mnemonics, to help you retain challenging pharmacology concepts and drug information. This sturdy, spiral bound kit covers important nursing implications, frequent side effects, serious and life-threatening implications, and patient teaching skills.
ECG Interpretation Made Incredibly Easy
ECG Interpretation Made Incredibly Easy makes learning to read and interpret rhythm strips simple. The book reviews fundamental cardiac anatomy and physiology, explains how to obtain and interpret a rhythm strip, and teaches the reader how to recognize and treat sinus, atrial, and ventricular arrhythmias, as well as heart blocks.
