Nursing and NCLEX Review Practice Flashcards

Comprehensive vocabulary and concept flashcards covering nursing assessments, positioning, medical mnemonics, and NCLEX-specific clinical facts.

E - A - T (Delegation Mnemonic)

The acronym used to remember tasks a nurse must NOT delegate: Evaluate, Assess, and Teach.

Addison's Disease (Clinical Features)

Characterized by hyponatremia, hypotension, decreased blood volume, hyperkalemia, and hypoglycemia; described as "down, down, down, up, down."

Cushing's Syndrome (Clinical Features)

Characterized by hypernatremia, hypertension, increased blood volume, hypokalemia, and hyperglycemia; described as "up, up, up, down, up."

MTV (Airborne Precautions)

A mnemonic for diseases requiring airborne precautions: Measles, TB (Tuberculosis), and Varicella (Chicken Pox/Herpes Zoster Shingles).

S - P - I - D - E - R - M - A - N (Droplet Precautions)

A mnemonic for droplet precautions including Sepsis, Scarlet fever, Streptococcal pharyngitis, Parvovirus B19, Pneumonia, Pertussis, Influenza, Diphtheria, Epiglottitis, Rubella, Mumps, Meningitis, Mycoplasma, and Adenovirus.

MRS. WEE (Contact Precautions)

A mnemonic for contact precautions including Multidrug resistant organisms, Respiratory infections, Skin infections, Wound infections, Enteric infections (C. diff), and Eye infections (Conjunctivitis).

Positioning for Air/Pulmonary Embolism

Turn the patient to the left side and lower the head of the bed.

Positioning after Lumbar Puncture

The patient lies in a flat supine position for $4$ to $12$ hours as prescribed to prevent headache and CSF leakage.

Buck's Traction

A type of skin traction where the foot of the bed is elevated to provide counter-traction.

Myasthenia Gravis

A condition that worsens with exercise and improves with rest, caused by a decrease in receptor sites for acetylcholine.

Mannitol (Glycerol)

An osmotic diuretic used for head injuries that crystallizes at room temperature and must always be administered with a filter needle.

Diabetes Insipidus

Condition caused by decreased ADH characterized by excessive urine output, thirst, dehydration, and weakness.

SIADH

Condition caused by increased ADH characterized by changes in LOC, decreased deep tendon reflexes, tachycardia, and nausea/vomiting.

Hypokalemia Food Sources

Foods high in potassium include raisins, bananas, apricots, oranges, beans, potatoes, carrots, and celery.

M-U-R-D-E-R (Hyperkalemia)

Signs include Muscle weakness, Urine (oliguria/anuria), Respiratory depression, Decreased cardiac contractility, ECG changes, and Reflexes.

Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome (NMS)

Features hyperpyrexia, increased muscle tone (stiffness), diaphoresis, and elevated BP, pulse, and respirations.

H-O-P-S (Tetralogy of Fallot)

Refers to the four defects: Heart ventricular septal defect, Overriding aorta, Pulmonary stenosis, and Right ventricular hypertrophy.

Digoxin Nursing Considerations

Always check the pulse and hold the medication if it is less than $60$; therapeutic levels are $0.5-2.0$; monitor potassium as low K potentiates toxicity.

Theophylline

Used for asthma or COPD with a therapeutic drug level of $10-20$.

V-E-A-L C-H-O-P (Fetal Heart Rate)

Variable decels = Cord compression; Early decels = Head compression; Accels = Okay; Late decels = Placental insufficiency.

Rule of NINES (Burn Assessment)

Head and Neck $9\%$, each Upper Extremity $9\%$, each Lower Extremity $18\%$, Front Trunk $18\%$, Back Trunk $18\%$, and Genitalia $1\%$..

Glaucoma Vision Loss

Characterized by painful vision loss and the loss of peripheral vision (tunnel/halo vision).

Cataracts

Characterized by painless vision loss, opacity of the lens, and blurring of vision.

Kernig's Sign

A sign of meningitis where there is leg pain upon extension after the leg has been flexed.

Brudzinski's Sign

A sign of meningitis where neck flexion causes involuntary flexion of the lower legs.

Cullen's Sign

Ecchymosis in the umbilical area, indicative of pancreatitis.

Turner's Sign

Grayish-blue discoloration of the flanks, indicative of pancreatitis.

Kawasaki Syndrome

A condition characterized by a "strawberry tongue" and potential coronary artery aneurysms.

Pernicious Anemia

Characterized by a red, beefy tongue; testing is done via the Shilling Test.

Autonomic Dysreflexia

A life-threatening emergency in spinal cord injuries at $T-7$ or above, often triggered by a full bladder, causing severe hypertension.

HbA1c

Assesses blood sugar control over the past $90-120$ days; a value of $4-6$ corresponds to a sugar level of $70-110$.

Bence Jones Protein

The presence of this protein in the urine confirms a diagnosis of multiple myeloma.