Pills, Thrills, and Pharmacology Drills! Strategies to Increase Student Retention in an Entry-Level Nursing Pharmacology Course

The pharmacology course in a nursing curriculum should provide learners with a strong foundation in the knowledge of drugs. In many nursing programs, the attrition rate in pharmacology is often high. This article offers innovative strategies that can engage students in learning and promote successful completion of a pharmacology course. Nursing faculty provided extra learning sessions, in a face-to-face format, for students. Nursing faculty also created a hybrid classroom, using online learning strategies. Student retention in the course increased from 61% when the strategies were not used to 86% after the first semester of implementing the strategies and to 90% after two semesters.