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Pharmacology
Pharmacology
Version 1.0
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Antibiotics: Understanding their Classifications

Build practical nursing knowledge of antibiotic classes, selection, resistance, adverse effects, administration, monitoring, and patient education.

Registered nurse reviewing an antibiotic order, culture results, renal laboratory values, and allergy history at a hospital workstation before medication administration.
Contact hours
4
Format
Self-paced, online
Last reviewed
Sep 19, 2026

$20.00or included with All-Access

$5 per contact hour · 4 contact hours

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  • No post-test required · unlimited retakes · evaluation and attestation always required

Course Purpose

Build practical nursing knowledge of antibiotic classes, selection, resistance, adverse effects, administration, monitoring, and patient education.

Continuing Education Credit Designation

This educational activity is credited for 4 contact hours at completion of the activity.

Overview

This course prepares nurses to connect major antibiotic classes with their bacterial targets, expected spectrum, pharmacologic behavior, common indications, and clinically important adverse effects. After completion, the learner will be able to assess antibiotic orders, obtain cultures correctly, monitor treatment and toxicity, identify allergic reactions, educate patients, and participate in antibiotic stewardship.

Objectives

Upon completion of this independent study, the learner will be able to:

  1. Differentiate major antibiotic classes by mechanism of action, spectrum, and common clinical use.
  2. Apply patient, pathogen, infection-site, pharmacokinetic, and local susceptibility factors when evaluating antibiotic therapy.
  3. Distinguish bactericidal from bacteriostatic activity and time-dependent from concentration-dependent antibiotic exposure.
  4. Explain how bacterial resistance emerges and spreads through mutation, transformation, transduction, and conjugation.
  5. Recognize common adverse effects, severe toxicities, drug interactions, and immediate or delayed hypersensitivity reactions associated with antibiotics.
  6. Implement nursing practices that support timely cultures, accurate administration, therapeutic monitoring, patient education, and antibiotic stewardship.

Policy Statement

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the policies of FastCEForLess.com. This course should be used for informational purposes only and should not be used to diagnose, treat, prescribe, recommend, or initiate therapies or treatments in any setting. This course is copyrighted by Fast CE For Less, Inc. and may not be replicated, copied, or dispersed without written consent.

Disclosures

Fast CE For Less, Inc. and its authors have no disclosures. There is no commercial support.

Who this course is for:

Healthcare professionals who want continuing education on Antibiotics: Understanding their Classifications.

Course outline

9 sections · finish in any order across devices

  1. 1

    Introduction

  2. 2

    Defining Antibiotics

  3. 3

    Antibiotic Selection

  4. 4

    Types of Antibiotics

  5. 5

    Taking Antibiotics as Prescribed

  6. 6

    Antibiotic Resistance

  7. 7

    Side Effects and Allergic Reactions

  8. 8

    Nursing Considerations

  9. 9

    Conclusion

References

The full reference list is included inside the course, after the Conclusion.

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