Nursing Exam Cram Sheet For The NCLEX-RN

Nursing Exam Cram Sheet for the NCLEX-RN The final mountain that nursing students must summit before becoming a registered nurse is the NCLEX. Preparing for the NCLEX can be stressful as taking in colossal amounts of information has never been easy. This is where this cram sheet can help-- it contains condensed facts about the licensure exam and key nursing information. When exam time comes, you can write and transfer these vital information from your head to a blank sheet of paper provided by the testing center. 1. Test Information  Six hours4the maximum time allotted for the NCLEX is 6 hours. Take breaks if you need a time out or need to move around.  75/2654the minimum number of questions you can answer is 75 and a maximum of 265.  Read the question and answers carefully4do not jump into conclusions or make wild guesses.  Look for keywords4Avoid answers with absolutes like always, never, all, every, only, must, except, none, or no.  Don’t read into the question4Never assume anything that has not been specifically mentioned and don’t add extra meaning to the question.  Eliminate answers that are clearly wrong or incorrect4to increase your probability of selecting the correct answer!  Watch for grammatical inconsistencies4Subjects and verbs should agree. If the question is an incomplete sentence, the correct answer should complete the question in a grammatically correct manner. Rephrase the question4putting the question into your own words can pluck the unneeded info and reveal the core of the stem.  Make an educated guess4if you can’t make the best answer for a question after carefully reading it, choose the answer with the most information. 2. Vital Signs  Heart rate: 804100 bpm  Respiratory rate: 12-20 rpm  Blood pressure: 110-120/60 mmHg  Temperature: 37 °C (98.6 °F) 3. Hematology values  RBCs: 4.545.0 million  WBCs: 5,000410,000  Platelets: 200,0004400,000  Hemoglobin (Hgb): 12416 gm (female); 14418 gm (male).  Hematocrit (Hct): 37447 (female); 404 54 (male) 4. Serum electrolytes  Sodium: 1354145 mEq/L  Potassium: 3.545.5 mEq/L  Calcium: 8.5410.9 mEq/L  Chloride: 954105 mEq/L  Magnesium: 1.542.5 mEq/L  Phosphorus: 2.544.5 mEq/L  5. ABG Values  pH: 7.3647.45  HCO3: 24426 mEq/L  CO2: 35445 mEq/L  PaO2: 80%4100%  SaO2: >95% 6. Acid-Base Balance  Remember ROME (respiratory opposite/metabolic equal) to remember that in respiratory acid/base disorders the pH is opposite to the other components.  Use the Tic-Tac-Toe Method for interpreting ABGs. 7. Chemistry Values  Glucose: 704110 mg/dL  Specific Gravity: 1.01041.030  BUN: 7-22 mg/dL  Serum creatinine: 0.641.35 mg/dL  LDH: 100-190 U/L  Protein: 6.248.1 g/dL  Albumin: 3.445.0 g/dL  Bilirubin: <1.0 mg/dL  Total Cholesterol: 1304200 mg/dL  Triglyceride: 40450 mg/dL  Uric acid: 3.547.5 mg/dL  CPK: 21-232 U/L 8. Therapeutic Drug Levels  Carbamazepine (Tegretol): 4410 mcg/ml  Digoxin (Lanoxin): 0.842.0 ng/ml  Gentamycin (Garamycin): 5410 mcg/ml (peak), <2.0 mcg/ml (valley)  Lithium (Eskalith): 0.841.5 mEq/L  Phenobarbital (Solfoton): 15440 mcg/mL  Phenytoin (Dilantin): 10420 mcg/dL  Theophylline (Aminophylline): 10420 mcg/dL  Tobramycin (Tobrex): 5410 mcg/mL (peak), 0.542.0 mcg/mL (valley)  Valproic Acid (Depakene): 504100 mcg/ml  Vancomycin (Vancocin): 20440 mcg/ml (peak), 5 to 15 mcg/ml (trough) 9. Anticoagulant therapy  Sodium warfarin (Coumadin) PT: 10412 seconds (control). The antidote is Vitamin K.  INR (Coumadin): 0.941.2  Heparin PTT: 30445 seconds (control). The antidote is protamine sulfate.  APTT: 23.3431.9 seconds  Fibrinogen level: 2034377 mg/dL 10. Conversions  1 teaspoon (t) = 5 ml  1 tablespoon (T) = 3 t = 15 ml  1 oz = 30 ml  1 cup = 8 oz  1 quart = 2 pints  1 pint = 2 cups  1 grain (gr) = 60 mg 1 gram (g) = 1,000 mg 1 kilogram (kg) = 2.2 lbs 1 lb = 16 oz Convert C to F: C+40 multiply by 9/5 and subtract 40  Convert F to C: F+40 multiply by 5/9 and subtract 40 11. Maternity Normal Values  Fetal Heart Rate: 1204160 bpm  Variability: 6410 bpm  Amniotic fluid: 50041200 ml  Contractions: 245 minutes apart with duration of < 90 seconds and intensity of <100 mmHg.  APGAR Scoring: Appearance, Pulses, Grimace, Activity, Reflex Irritability. Done at 1 and 5 minutes with a score of 0 for absent, 1 for decreased, and 2 for strongly positive. Scores 7 and above are generally normal, 4 to 6 fairly low, and 3 and below are generally regarded as critically low.  AVA: The umbilical cord has two arteries and one vein. 12. STOP—Treatment for maternal hypotension after an epidural anesthesia:  Stop infusion of Pitocin.  Turn the client on her left side.  Administer oxygen.  If hypovolemia is present, push IV fluids. 13. Pregnancy Category of Drugs  Category A4No risk in controlled human studies  Category B4No risk in other studies. Examples: Amoxicillin, Cefotaxime.     Category C4Risk not ruled out. Examples: Rifampicin (Rifampin), Theophylline (Theolair).  Category D4Positive evidence of risk. Examples: Phenytoin, Tetracycline.  Category X4Contraindicated in Pregnancy. Examples: Isotretinoin (Accutane), Thalidomide (Immunoprin), etc.  Pregnancy Category N4Not yet classified 14. Drug Schedules  Schedule I4no currently accepted medical use and for research use only (e.g., heroin, LSD, MDMA).  Schedule II4drugs with high potential for abuse and requires written prescription (e.g., Ritalin, hydromorphone (Dilaudid), meperidine (Demerol), and fentanyl).  Schedule III4requires new prescription after six months or five refills (e.g., codeine, testosterone, ketamine).  Schedule IV4requires new prescription after six months (e.g., Darvon, Xanax, Soma, and Valium).  Schedule V4dispensed as any other prescription or without prescription (e.g., cough preparations, Lomotil, Motofen). 15. Medication Classifications  Antacids4reduces hydrochloric acid in the stomach.  Antianemics4increases blood cell production.  Anticholinergics4decreases oral secretions.  Anticoagulants4prevents clot formation,  Anticonvulsants4used for management of seizures and/or bipolar disorders.  Antidiarrheals4decreases gastric motility and reduce water in bowel.  Antihistamines4block the release of histamine.  Antihypertensives4lower blood pressure and increases blood flow.  Anti-infectives4used for the treatment of infections,  Bronchodilators4dilates large air passages in asthma or lung diseases (e.g., COPD).  Diuretics4decreases water/sodium from the Loop of Henle.  Laxatives4promotes the passage of stool.  Miotics4constricts the pupils.  Mydriatics4dilates the pupils.  Narcotics/analgesics4relieves moderate to severe pain. 16. Rules of nines for calculating Total Body Surface Area (TBSA) for burns  Head: 9%  Arms: 18% (9% each)  Back: 18%  Legs: 36% (18% each)  Genitalia: 1% 17. Medications  Digoxin (Lanoxin)—Assess pulses for a full minute, if less than 60 bpm hold            dose. Check digitalis and potassium levels. Aluminum Hydroxide (Amphojel)4 Treatment of GERD and kidney stones. WOF constipation. Hydroxyzine (Vistaril)4Treatment of anxiety and itching. WOF dry mouth. Midazolam (Versed)4given for conscious sedation. WOF respiratory depression and hypotension. Amiodarone (Cordarone)4WOF diaphoresis, dyspnea, lethargy. Take missed dose any time in the day or to skip it entirely. Do not take double dose. Warfarin (Coumadin)4WOF for signs of bleeding, diarrhea, fever, or rash. Stress importance of complying with prescribed dosage and follow-up appointments. Methylphenidate (Ritalin)4Treatment of ADHD. Assess for heart related sideeffects and reported immediately. Child may need a drug holiday because the drug stunts growth. Dopamine4Treatment of hypotension, shock, and low cardiac output. Monitor ECG for arrhythmias and blood pressure. Rifampicin4causes red-orange tears and urine. Ethambutol4causes problems with vision, liver problem. Isoniazid4can cause peripheral neuritis, take vitamin B6 to counter. 18. Developmental Milestones  2—3 months: able to turn head up, and can turn side to side. Makes cooing or gurgling noises and can turn head to sound.  4—5 months: grasps, switch and roll over tummy to back. Can babble and can mimic sounds.  6—7 months: sits at 6 and waves byebye. Can recognize familiar faces and knows if someone is a stranger. Passes things back and forth between hands.  8—9 months: stands straight at eight, has favorite toy, plays peek-a-boo.  10—11 months: belly to butt.  12—13 months: twelve and up, drinks from a cup. Cries when parents leave, uses furniture to cruise. 19. Cultural Considerations  African Americans4May believe that illness is caused by supernatural causes and seek advice and remedies form faith healers; they are family oriented; have higher incidence of high blood pressure and obesity; high incidence of lactose intolerance with difficulty digesting milk and milk products.  Arab Americans4May remain silent about health problems such as STIs, substance abuse, and mental illness; a devout Muslim may interpret illness as the will of Allah, a test of faith; may rely on ritual cures or alternative therapies before seeking help from health care provider; after death, the family may   want to prepare the body by washing and wrapping the body in unsewn white cloth; postmortem examinations are discouraged unless required by law. May avoid pork and alcohol if Muslim. Islamic patients observe month long fast of Ramadan (begins approximately mid-October); people suffering from chronic illnesses, pregnant women, breast-feeding, or menstruating don’t fast. Females avoid eye contact with males; use same-sex family members as interpreters. Asian Americans4May value ability to endure pain and grief with silent stoicism; typically family oriented; extended family should be involved in care of dying patient; believes in