What is the Hardest Class in Nursing School?

Nursing school is composed of a variety of different classes to help you become a well-rounded nurse.

If you’ve recently been accepted into nursing school, you may be asking yourself “What is the hardest class in nursing school?”

Pharmacology is the hardest class in nursing school, and here are a few tips on surviving it.

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What is Pharmacology?

Pharmacology teaches you about a million different medications, what they do in the body, side effects, safe dose ranges, and more.

What Will I Learn?

You’ll learn which medications interact with each other negatively, as well as which route to administer the medication.

While this can seem intimidating, it’s entirely possible with hard work and good study habits.

Study Tips

Here are some nursing school study tips for pharmacology.

Study Group Tips

Study groups are an essential in nursing school, here are some tips on making the most of them.

• Form a good group: A good study group is made up of 3-5 people who are eager to do well on their exams. It’s important to form a study group with like-minded and motivated individuals.
• Stay focused: Creating a schedule for your study group format is a great way to stay focused, motivated, and organized. Building in a few 10-minute breaks can be a great way to socialize without straying off track.
• Find a good meeting spot: Places that are too loud or busy can be a major distraction. Consider renting a room in your school library, or meeting at someone’s home in order to avoid this issue.

Solo Studying Tips

Pharmacology is a class that is all about straight memorization, and there aren’t too many processes or other theories to get into besides simply learning the drugs.

Flashcards are the best study option for Pharmacology, so here are a few tips to help you get the most out of them. (➔ See 5 Best Pharmacology Flashcards for Nursing School)

• Apps: Using a flashcard app can help you reduce the risk of losing cards, and it also helps to keep your space more organized and neat.
• Colors: Many nursing students use different colors on their flashcards to help them remember side effects, routes, etc.
• Store-Bought Flashcards: Certain companies make pharmacology flashcards for nurses, and these can help give you detailed answers without having to write it all out and risk forgetting something.
• Recording: Some nursing students record themselves flipping through flashcards, leaving a pause between the question and answer. This allows you to listen to your flashcards when you are on the go.

Flashcards also force you to utilize your active recall skills, which have been found to help you improve your memory (source).

More Tips

Although attendance is one of the best ways to ensure you pass pharmacology, there are a few other things you can do to improve your score.

• Attendance: Attending all of your classes is vital to getting a good grade, as absenteeism can cause you to miss important information.
• Diet: A healthy diet directly impacts your brain function, so make sure to be reaching for whole grains, nuts, fruits, and veggies instead of the ice cream carton (source).
• Note Taking: Whether you prefer a laptop, tablet, or traditional pen and paper, it’s important to take good notes. Color-coding your notes can help you to remember concepts that are similar to each other and keep your notes in order.
• Drug Guide: A drug guide will be your best friend during Pharmacology, as it contains everything you need to know about a drug in one convenient page.

Final Thoughts

While Pharmacology can be a very difficult course, it’s completely doable and thousands have done it before you!

Remember to utilize your drug guide book and take detailed, organized notes.

Most importantly, don’t give up and keep studying!

We want to hear from you!

What class do you think is the hardest nursing school class? Drop a comment and let us know.

Related Article to the Hardest Class in Nursing School

• If you’ve read this you might want to check out our other article on the easiest class in nursing school.
• How to Study in Nursing School
• How to Pass Exams in Nursing School