Much of what nurses learn in nursing school revolves around sciences courses such as physics, chemistry, and biology. Just as nursing school consists of science-related content, the field of nursing also relies heavily on these sciences. Science is vital to the nursing profession. As the need for licensed, professional nurses increases so does the requirements for these positions. Nurses must have the ability to work in a variety of settings, including schools, clinics, hospitals and nursing homes, and they must depend heavily on the skills they learn in their organic chemistry nursing classes to be a success in their profession.
What is Organic Chemistry?
In organic chemistry courses, nursing students study compounds containing carbon. Organic chemistry studies the names, composition, structure, and synthesis of carbon compounds and their reactions to various other substances. Nursing student will learn the importance of chemical bonds created between hydrogen atoms and carbon atoms. These organic compounds must contain hydrogen and carbon, but they can also have other elements as well.
There are currently over six million organic compounds that are all unique in nature. They are unique because these carbon atoms can form strong bonds with various elements, including other carbon atoms. At the same time, these atoms can form strong bonds with other types of nonmetal atoms.
Nursing students will learn how important organic chemistry is to daily living. Organic chemistry is very complex but important to human existence. Organic chemistry is part of medications, foods, chemicals, plastics and much more. These atoms make life convenient and they support human life.
Organic chemistry is important to improving current medicines and products and discovering new ones. It is also vital to understanding the human body and its many functions and abilities.
How Nurses Use Organic Chemistry on the Job
Nurses use organic chemistry on the job to understand the science behind the many processes that happen in the human body. Nurses use organic chemistry to understand the processes that take place at the cellular level. For example, nurses need to know how oxygen travels from the lungs to the locations where it is needed so that they can determine treatments for patients. Another example of how nurses use organic chemistry takes place when they must determine the blood’s pH to determine if it is basic or acidic before determining a course of treatment.
Many patients depend of medications before they enter a hospital or clinic, and they have to take additional medications to treat the current medical issues that they are experiencing. Nurses must determine the reactions that certain medications have on the body, and they must determine how or if the prescribed medications will counteract with the previous medications. Many patients take glucose to control their blood sugar levels so that they can stay alive. Nurses must use organic chemistry to determine how the bodies of their patients metabolized glucose, and how the body reacts to it.
On a more complex level, nurses must make decisions based on their knowledge of organic chemistry to help save the lives of their patients. In certain situations, a single chemical may not be enough for patient treatment so nurses must know how to mix various solutions and compounds to help the patient remain healthy and alive.
Nurses use organic chemistry to help them understand various solutions, properties, and compounds and the useful advantages of using them to care for their patients. Organic chemistry helps nurses understand the behaviors and compositions of commodities such as carbohydrates, fats, drugs, proteins, vitamins, natural fibers, and synthetic fibers and their role in patient health.
Tips on How to Study for Organic Chemistry
Organic chemistry is one of the most complex courses that students take in nursing school. It is important to have a firm grasp of the content, as it is the foundation for what nurses do on a daily basis. Without excellent organic chemistry skills, nurses are not able to perform their jobs adequately.
- Use all available resources to pass the course. Students should not rely only on their notes; they must use all additional resources included with the textbook plus any supplemental materials they can get their hands on. Amazon.com has many great resources for students.
- Make visual aids. Flashcards are great for studying notes and creating visual representations of elements and atoms. Nursing students can also use these visual aids to work out problems and create charts that they can use to drill themselves.
- Set up a study plan in advanced. The content in this course is too complex not to create a plan at the beginning of the course. Students need to study daily and incorporate breaks in order to be a success in this course.
Organic chemistry is the foundation for much of what nurses do on a daily basis. They must have a firm grasp of the content to determine the most appropriate care for each of their patients. Organic chemistry is one the most beneficial courses that nursing students take in nursing school.