← Home
Nursing Pharmacology Flashcards
Free Pharmacology Revision Cards for Student Nurses
These free Nursing Pharmacology flashcards cover drug classes, routes of administration, common side effects and key mechanisms of action. Perfect revision for student nurses.
Question
What are the "Rights of Medication Administration"?
tap to flip
Answer
Right patient, right drug, right dose, right route, right time — and commonly added: right documentation, right reason, right response.
tap to flip
Question
What is pharmacokinetics?
tap to flip
Answer
How the body handles a drug — Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, and Excretion (ADME).
tap to flip
Question
What is pharmacodynamics?
tap to flip
Answer
How a drug affects the body — its mechanism of action, receptor interactions, and therapeutic or toxic effects.
tap to flip
Question
What is the difference between a drug's half-life and its onset of action?
tap to flip
Answer
Half-life is the time for the drug's concentration in blood to fall by 50% — determines dosing interval. Onset of action is how quickly the drug produces its effect after administration.
tap to flip
Question
What is bioavailability?
tap to flip
Answer
The proportion of a drug that reaches systemic circulation unchanged. IV administration = 100% bioavailability; oral bioavailability is reduced by first-pass metabolism.
tap to flip
Question
What is first-pass metabolism?
tap to flip
Answer
When an orally administered drug is metabolised by the liver before reaching systemic circulation, significantly reducing the amount of active drug — relevant for drugs like morphine and GTN.
tap to flip
Question
What is the difference between an agonist and an antagonist?
tap to flip
Answer
An agonist binds to a receptor and activates it (mimics the natural effect). An antagonist binds to a receptor and blocks it (inhibits the natural effect).
tap to flip
Question
What are the main routes of drug administration?
tap to flip
Answer
Oral (PO), intravenous (IV), intramuscular (IM), subcutaneous (SC), sublingual (SL), transdermal, inhaled, rectal, and topical.
tap to flip
Question
What is a therapeutic index (TI)?
tap to flip
Answer
The ratio between the toxic dose and the therapeutic dose. A narrow TI means the drug requires careful monitoring (e.g. digoxin, warfarin, lithium).
tap to flip
Question
What are opioid analgesics and give three examples?
tap to flip
Answer
Drugs that bind opioid receptors to relieve pain. Examples: morphine, codeine, fentanyl, oxycodone. Side effects include respiratory depression, constipation, and dependence.
tap to flip
🔒
See all 25 cards for free
Create a free account to unlock the full deck — no payment needed.