Using Innovative Teaching Strategies to Improve Outcomes in a Pharmacology Course.

It is often difficult to engage nursing students and keep their interest when teaching pharmacology. This article reports on an effective change from a lecture-only approach to teaching with the use of games and case studies in a baccalaureate nursing education program. Improvements have been noted in standardized test scores and student evaluations, and students are more engaged in the learning process. Learning has been shifted from the instructor, as in the traditional classroom, and is now student focused.