Most Commonly Used Drugs

in Nursing Specialties Source

Nurses are often required to float to units they’re not accustomed to working in,
where they might have to administer unfamiliar drugs. If you know ahead of time
which drugs are most commonly used in the various nursing specialties, you’ll be
able to acquaint yourself with these drugs-and reduce the chance of making a
drug error. The table below shows the 10 most commonly used drugs in nine
nursing specialties.

Specialty: Critical Care Nursing

 Amiodarone hydrochloride
 Diltiazem hydrochloride
 Dopamine hydrochloride
 Epinephrine hydrochloride
 Furosemide
 Insulin
 Lorazepam
 Metoprolol tartrate
 Morphine sulfate
 Nitroglycerin

Specialty: Emergency Care Nursing

 Acetaminophen
 Aspirin
 Diltiazem
 Diphtheria and tetanus toxoids
 Famotidine
 Ketorolac
 Ibuprofen
 Levofloxacin
 Metoclopramide
 Nitroglycerin

Specialty: Home Care Nursing

 Acetaminophen
 Acetaminophen/oxycodone
 Acetaminophen/propoxyphene napsylate
 Digoxin
 Diltiazem hydrochloride
 Docusate sodium
 Furosemide
 Metformin hydrochloride
 Potassium chloride
 Warfarin

Specialty: Long-Term Care Nursing

 Carbidopa/levodopa
 Digoxin
 Docusate sodium
 Donepezil hydrochloride
 Enalapril maleate
 Furosemide
 Metoprolol tartrate
 Mirtazapine
 Pantoprazole sodium
  Potassium chloride

Specialty: Medical-Surgical Nursing

 Acetaminophen
 Diltiazem hydrochloride
 Enalapril maleate
 Furosemide
 Heparin sodium
 Insulin
 Levofloxacin
 Metoprolol tartrate
 Morphine sulfate
 Potassium chloride

Specialty: Obstetric Nursing

 Acetaminophen/codeine
 Acetaminophen/oxycodone
 Dinoprostone
 Ibuprofen
 Magnesium sulfate
 Nalbuphine hydrochloride
 Oxytocin
 Penicillin
 Promethazine hydrochloride
 Terbutaline sulfate

Specialty: Pediatric Nursing

 Albuterol
 Amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium
 Amoxicillin trihydrate
 Cetirizine hydrochloride
 Co-trimoxazole
 Fluticasone propionate
 Gentamicin sulfate
 Hydrocortisone (topical)
 Methylphenidate hydrochloride
 Montelukast sodium

Specialty: Post-Anesthesia Care Nursing

 Bupivacaine hydrochloride
 Fentanyl citrate
 Hydromorphone hydrochloride
 Lidocaine hydrochloride
 Lorazepam
 Meperidine hydrochloride
 Metoclopramide hydrochloride
 Midazolam hydrochloride
 Morphine sulfate
 Ondansetron hydrochloride

Specialty: Psychiatric Nursing

 Carbamazepine
 Clonazepam
 Divalproex sodium
 Escitalopram oxalate
 Lithium carbonate
  Olanzapine
 Paroxetine hydrochloride
 Risperidone
 Sertraline hydrochloride
 Venlafaxine hydrochloride

Source: 2005 Nursing Spectrum Drug Handbook