Study while you wait: NCSBN’s Medication Flashcards Mobile App
Make the most of your time while standing in line or waiting for an appointment… study! The National Council of the State Boards of Nursing
has a free app that will help you study drug information in preparation for the NCLEX exam or a pharmacology exam. The app is only available for the iphone and ipad at this time, but an Android version is due for release next month (April 2015).
The app uses a flashcard format. Medications are grouped into categories (eg. anti-psychotics, beta blockers, lipid-lowering agents, etc.) or they can be searched by specific drug.
Tap the screen to flip the card. The back of the flashcard contains:
- generic and brand names of drugs that fall into that category
- drug uses along with an overview of the mechanism of action
- information that is “nice to know” (eg. do not discontinue the medication suddenly), “good to know” (eg. exposure to sunlight may cause a severe sunburn), and “really important to know” (eg. may cause confusion and hallucinations and should be avoided in clients over 70).
There is an option to “Flag” what you don’t know or indicate that you “Got it” with the drugs that you are comfortable with. You can then come back and focus on the flagged medications.
Most of us have our smartphones with us most all the time. So as a study aid, NCSBN’s Flashcards are conveniently at hand. Plus, the price is right!
Jill Turner, Librarian
