Mastering Pharmacology is one of the most complicated, overlooked, yet ESSENTIAL components of being a well-rounded, safe nurse. One of
Can I be honest? I had an amazing experience last month. It was one of those moments when you
I want to share with you four significant moments in my nursing career. These are moments that were “pivotal” to
Caveat: some people (nurses) might not agree AT ALL with what I say here . . . oh well! I
Are you cut out to be a nurse? Wondering how hard is nursing school? What are the nursing school prerequisites
Our Nursing Brain Sheet Database is here! I get it . . . I was there once too. Notes on
Wow . . . what a fun show today. I was honored to sit down with Ben and Greg from the Real Talk Nursing Podcast.
Be able to know when something is outside of your comfort zone High risk, low frequency procedures Know your chain of command for both clinical
Most facilities have policies and procedures to properly secure valuables Ideally, valuables are given to family/friends to be taken home and secured If this is
Refusing treatment HCPOA disputes/living wills Mental illness and inability to sign own consents
This includes evidenced-based research, information technology, policies and procedures) Access data for client through online databases and journals Most hospitals have subscriptions to journals Professional
So you got into nursing school. Way to go! In a lot of ways nursing school is kinda like drinking from a fire hose .
Each facility may have a different process Identify inappropriate and/or unclear treatments or medications A nurse must administer treatments unless they believe they are inappropriate
Ever sit down in a bathroom stall to go to potty and the tissue is out? You pray for someone to come into the bathroom.
Sometimes nursing school clinical feels like you are constantly needing something quickly. And while you cannot carry everything on you, you should try to be
I will admit it. I started every semester with the best intentions: super organized, everything labeled, and calendar ready to be filled out with all
While there is a lot of information to know for nursing clinicals, there are a few basic tasks to master to look like a rock
Two members of our NRSNG Family recently sent us a hilarious picture that we just had to share . . . You see, what our
What is informed consent? Basically the patient is giving permission for treatment and acknowledging that they understand the risks and benefits of the procedure as
Two codes of ethics for nurses Last updated 2015 First developed in 1953 Last updated 2012 The American Nurses Association Code of Ethics The Code
Issues arise frequently that require the nurse to address them and ensure the problem has been resolved Examples Lab problems: unable to get serum sample,
CHILD ABUSE Child’s excessive knowledge of sex and abusive words Hair growth in various lengths Inconsistent stories from the child and parent/s Low self-esteem
Two areolas One vagina Two umbilical arteries, one umbilical vein
If it wasn’t documented, it wasn’t done! Nurses are responsible for documenting many things. Some of which include: Care plans Medications (many facilities
Report will look different in various areas of the hospital ED report is very short and concise Critical care report is very detailed Floor report
PAINS Period (menstrual: late, spotting, bleeding) Abdominal pain, dyspareunia (painful intercourse) Infection (abnormal vaginal discharge) Not feeling well, fever or chills String missing
It is no question that nursing school can be a little nerve racking. But what can be most unnerving part about it is going into
HELLP Hemolysis Elevated Liver function tests Low Platelet count
Keep your password of EHR’s protected and confidential Don’t talk about sensitive information in public areas Speak with patient about which members of their support
ALONE Amniocentesis L/S Ratio Oxytocin Test Non-Stress Test Estriol Level
Make sure the patient knows that their privacy is a priority to us It is one of their rights, it is not optional Intervene if
VEAL CHOP (OB Nursing Mnemonic) Variable – Cord Compression Early – Head Compression Accelerations – Okay Late – Placental Insufficiency I have to be
Positive troponins (NRSNG=0.035… check your institutions ranges) What is a troponin? Troponins are proteins that initiate contraction of muscle fibers. Troponin I is specific to
The nurse is at the bedside with the patient 24 hours/day and they typically feel most comfortable with their nursing staff. Therefore, if a problem
REEDA Redness Edema Ecchymosis Discharge, Drainage Approximation
Nursing staff Continual care provider, advocate, administer medications and orders placed by medical team, evaluate effectiveness, notify medical staff of concerns, facilitate collaboration of entire
This needs to be done daily to ensure we are facilitating the appropriate plan of care As other members of the health care team assess
DIG FAST Distractibility Indiscretion Grandiosity Flight of Ideas Activity Increase Sleep Deficit Talkative
Discuss treatment options with the health care team and make sure you understand them fully, then the physician (or support staff) will present to the
Care plans / clinical pathways must be initiated upon admission and are complete at discharge Complete an initial evaluation to assess their current situation, read
We are back with another in our series of episodes about critical thinking in nursing and how it applies to nursing care plans. In today’s
The patient and their support system must have all information related to the discharge process as early on as possible Location, contact information (and contact
Check the vowels: AEIOU Acid-Base Problems Electrolyte Problems Intoxications Overload of fluids Uremic Symptoms
Consider diagnosis, prescribed treatment recommendations, ability to remain compliant, patient’s understanding of situation, support system available, ability to utilize resources when questions or concerns arise,
Consider cost when setting up care/resources Is this sustainable? How does their insurance coverage, Medicare, or Medicaid factor in? Do so in a non-judgemental way
Why all the fuss about critical thinking? How does critical thinking actually work on the floor? This episodes uses real life examples to show you
“Help! I have fallen and I can’t get up!” “My leg is killing me!… Like I think I might die!” “I have to
ABCDEFGHI Airway Breathing Circulation Disability Examine Fahrenheit Get Vitals Head to Toe Assessment Intervention
Critical thinking can seem like such an abstract term that you don’t practically use. However, this could not be farther from the truth. Critical thinking
When you’re making care plans in nursing school, they seem so formal. It’s hard to imagine actually doing them and they seem like such empty
DIAPPERS Delirium Infection Atrophic Urethra- atrophy of the urethra Pharmaceuticals- blood pressure medication, antidepressants, diuretics, sleeping pills Psychologic Excess Urine Output Restricted Mobility Stool
Become familiar with your community’s resources that can be helpful to patients attempting to maintain independence Nursing homes, respite care, SNF, home health agencies, Meals
The 6 T’s: Tachycardia Tachypnea Tremors Toxic look Tiredness Temperature (fever)
NCSBN Delegation | ANA: Developing Delegation Skills You will be responsible for delegating tasks to others; nursing assistants, other nurses, and so forth Not all
Morphine – causes vasodilation resulting in decreased BP Aminophylline – relaxes airways to make breathing easier Digitalis – improve heart function in pulmonary edema
Ever wonder what a nursing care plan is good for except kindling for your fire? Me too. That is why I am super
POOPER SCOOP (Promotion) Position Output Offer Fluids Privacy Exercise Report Results (Evaluation) Size (Amount) Consistency Occult Blood Odor Peristalsis
Ahhhh.. chicken and waffles. They don’t sound like they should go together, but they do. They so do. Apart they are delicious, but together.. they
PERRLA Pupils Equally Round and Reactive to Light and Accommodate
Welcome to our brand new . . . hot off the presses podcast. This podcast is designed to provide you with a step-by-step outline for
It is the nurse’s job and part of the law (Client Self-Determination Act) to assess for existing advanced directives and integrate them into the patient’s
Advocating – help the patient and their support system understand the clinical picture and identified treatment options, identify their wants/needs, support the patient, speak on
Today, I am excited to have Nurse Beth who runs the blog NurseCode.com and also Ask Nurse Beth on AllNurses.com share with you some tips
ABCD’s Asymmetry- is the mole irregular in shape? Border- is the border irregular, notched, or poorly defined? Color- does the color vary (for example, between
MONATAS Morphine Oxygen Nitrates (Nitroglycerin) Aspirin (ASA) Thrombolytics Anticoagulants Stool Softeners
I have a RIGHT to CAMP if you LEFT off the AC Right Coronary Artery Marginal artery Posterior intraventricular artery Left Anterior ventricular artery
One of the most stressful parts of nursing school is nursing med math and dosage calculations. In this post, we are going to
Right sided: HEAD Hepatomegaly Edema (Bipedal) Ascites Distended Neck Vein Left Sided: CHOP Cough Hemoptysis Orthopnea Pulmonary Congestion (crackles/rales)
RAT BED Early Hypoxia: Restlessness Anxiety Tachycardia / Tachypnea Late Hypoxia: Bradycardia Extreme Restlessness Dyspnea
So . . . I guess this episode is just about 8 minutes of a few thoughts on my mind. Mostly though, I just want
APE To Man Aortic Pulmonic Erbs points Tricuspid Mitral
So all my floor and ICU nurses . . . Ever get a report from ED that sounded something like this: “Older female, came in
In this episode Kati, Susan, and I talk about the role of confidence and self doubt in nursing. This is a career field FULL of
The 6 P’s Pulmonary Bronchial Constriction Possible Foreign Body Pulmonary Embolus (PE) Pneumothorax Pump Failure Pneumonia
Are you cut out to be a nurse? Wondering how hard is nursing school? What are the nursing school prerequisites and do they matter? If
Today we have a guest post about nursing clinicals from Sam Akers RN who writes at Scrubed.com. I invited Sam to share some tips for
The 5 P’s Pain Paresthesia Paralysis Pulse Pallor (Paleness)
We hear from students all the time that their nursing program is cutting the pharmacology course . . . This drives me CRAZY! Pharmacology is
UNLOAD FAST U sit Upright Nitro Lasix Oxygen Aminophylline Digoxin Fluids – decrease Afterload – decrease Sodium – decrease Tests: dig level, ABG,
Ok we have all been there….waking up in a cold sweat from a terrible nightmare….Go to tell you friend or significant other about it and
Toilet Paper My A** Tricuspid Pulmonic Mitrial Aortic
CAUTION UP Change in bowel or bladder A lesion that does not heal Unusual bleeding or discharge Thickening or lump in breast or elsewhere
RANDI Razor Electric/Blades Aspirin Needles- small gauge Decrease needle sticks Injury (Protect from)
Mnemonics can be a great learning tool for nurses. Here is a list of 38 nursing mnemonics for some of the most common disease processes you
ASTHMA Adrenergic (Albuterol) Steroids Theophylline Hydration (IV) Mask (Oxygen) Antibiotics
Here’s our database of beautiful nursing quotes to inspire any nurse. Every now and then we all need a little pick me up . .
PAINS Pain (RLQ) – pain in the right lower quadrant of the abdomen Anorexia – loss of appetite Increased temperature, WBC (15,000-20,000) Nausea Signs
Our Nursing Brain Sheet Database is here! I get it . . . I was there once too. Notes on my hands, on alcohol swabs,
ROME Respiratory Opposite Metabolic Equal pH pCO2 HCO3 Metabolic acidosis Low Normal Low Equal Metabolic alkalosis High Normal High Equal Respiratory acidosis Low
Passing the NCLEX comes down to 3 things . . . practice, practice, practice . . . okay and one more thing . . practice.
The 5 A’s Amnesia – loss of memories Anomia – unable to recall names of everyday objects Apraxia – unable to perform tasks of
Generic Name lactulose Trade Name Kristalose Indication Constipation, portal-systemic encephalopathy Action draws water into the stool and softens stool, inhibits ammonia passing into the colon
Generic Name ketorolac Trade Name Toradol Indication pain Action pain relief due to prostaglandin inhibition by blocking of the enzyme cyclooxygenase (COX) Therapeutic Class nonsteroidal
6 S’s Sugar – hyperglycemia Soggy Bones – causes osteoporosis Sick – decreased immunity Sad – depression Salt – water and salt retention (hypertension)
Generic Name radioactive iodine Trade Name none Indication thyroidectomy pretreatment, thyrotoxic crisis, radiation exposure Action inhibits the release of thyroid hormones Therapeutic Class Antithyroid Agent,
TRACTION Temperature (Extremity, Infection) Ropes hang freely Alignment Circulation Check (5 Ps) Type & Location of fracture Increase fluid intake Overhead trapeze No weights
Generic Name regular Trade Name Humulin R/Novolin R Indication hyperglycemia with diabetes type 1 and 2, diabetic ketoacidosis Action stimulates uptake of glucose into muscle
Generic Name aspart, lispro, glulisine Trade Name novolog, humalog, apidra Indication hyperglycemia with diabetes type 1 and 2, diabetic ketoacidosis Action stimulates uptake of
AAPIE (An Apple PIE) Assessment Analysis Planning Implementation Evaluation
Generic Name NPH Trade Name Humulin N, Novolin N Indication hyperglycemia with diabetes type 1 and 2, diabetic ketoacidosis Action stimulates uptake of glucose into
When Robert Frost penned the words “the road not taken”, he must have had Juliana Adams BSN MSN MA in mind. To say that Juliana has
ADPIE (A Delicious PIE) Assessment Diagnosis Planning Implementation Evaluation
Generic Name indomethacin Trade Name Indocin Indication Inflammatory disorders when patients do not respond to other medications Action Decreases pain and inflammation by inhibiting prostaglandin
SCUM Shopping Cooking and Cleaning Using telephone or transportation Managing money and medications
Generic Name ibuprofen Trade Name Advil / Motrin Indication Mild to moderate pain, inflammatory states Action Decreases pain and inflammation by inhibiting prostaglandins Therapeutic Class
White – right Clouds over grass (white over green) Smoke over fire (black over red) Chocolate on the stomach (brown) BEEP Bleeding
Generic Name hydromorphone Trade Name Dilaudid Indication moderate to severe pain Action alters the perception and reaction to pain by binding to opiate receptors in
COAL Cane Opposite Affected Leg Wandering Wilma Always Late Walker With Affected Leg
Generic Name hydrocodone/acetaminophen Trade Name Norco Indication management of moderate to severe pain Action alters the perception and reaction to pain by binding to opiate
Generic Name hydrochlorothiazide Trade Name HydroDiuril Indication Hypertension, CHF, renal dysfunction, cirrhosis, glucocorticoid therapy Action Increases sodium and water excretion and produces arterial vasodilation Therapeutic
SAMS Slurred Speech Altered Central Nervous System Muscle Twitching Seizures
The day has arrived. Nursing Practice Questions is live and ready to go! What is NPQ? It’s our bank of NCLEX® style questions along with
We spend most of our time here at NRSNG teaching you HOW to be a nurse . . . I thought today I could share
Generic Name hydralazine Trade Name Apresoline Indication hypertension Action arterial vasodilation by unclarified mechanism Therapeutic Class anti-hypertensive Pharmacologic Class vasodilator Nursing Considerations may cause tachycardia,
Wait!!! Don’t take or give another handoff report until you use this nursing report sheet template. Handoff report is one of those areas that I
Drugs to LEAN on Lidocaine Epinephrine Atropine Sulfate Narcan
Generic Name heparin Trade Name Hep-Lock Indication Venous thromboembolism prophylaxis and treatment, low dose used to ensure patency of IV catheters Action increases the inhibitory
Nursing school can be.. well, hell. Senior year is particularly horrific. From applying for jobs, to completing your last clinicals, to finals week, to scheduling
Having trouble finding a place to practice NCLEX® questions? Trust me, I get it, this is one of the most common questions we get
Generic Name haloperidol Trade Name Haldol Indication Schizophrenia, mania, aggressive and agitated patient Action Alters the effect of dopamine Therapeutic Class Antipsychotic Pharmacologic Class butyrophenones
Anticholinergics- side effects Can’t see – burred vision Can’t pee – urinary retention Can’t spit – dry mouth Can’t s*** – constipation
You learn a many wonderful things in nursing school….it is JAM PACKED with information. Sometimes there are some bits and piece that they don’t seem
Generic Name guaifenesin Trade Name Robitussin Indication Cough suppression, expectorant Action Decreases viscosity of and mobilizes secretions Therapeutic Class allergy, cold and cough remedies, expectorant
So you’ve gotten your registered nurse licensure… Now what? When you become licensed as a registered nurse, you will need to have your licensure renewed.
Beta 1: heart Beta 2: lungs You have one heart and two lungs Beta Blockers Mnemonics
Resources for New Nurses and New Grads Here are a few of the resources mentioned in this video: 4 No Fail Tips to Get
PISO Potassium Inside the cell Sodium Outside the cell
I am pretty sure during nursing school I said multiple times, “This is crazy, I can’t do this anymore.” I heard it from many of
Question: An 86-year-old male patient is transferred from the long-term care facility where he lives to the hospital for treatment after falling in the hallway.
SALT LOSS Stupor/coma Anorexia, N&V Lethargy Tendon Reflexes decreased Limp muscles (weakness) Orthostatic hypotension Seizures/headache Stomach cramping
Question: A pregnant client is in labor to deliver her baby. The mother is 39 weeks’ gestation and has had gestational diabetes during pregnancy. The
CATS of hypocalcemia Convulsions Arrhythmias Tetany Spasms and stridor Groans, Moans, Bones, Stones, Overtones Groans – constipation Moans – joint pain Bones – loss
Hey there y’all . . . This is kinda an in-between-a-sode . . . I’ve had a few things on my mind that I wanted
Question: A 35-year-old client is undergoing a bronchoscopy procedure to evaluate a mass in his airway. Following the procedure, the nurse periodically assesses the patients
Generic Name Furosemide Trade Name Lasix Indication edema, hypertension Action prevents reabsorption of sodium and chloride in the kidneys, increase excretion of water, sodium, chloride,
Hypernatremia Nursing Mnemonic You are FRIED from learning about sodium Flushed skin Restlessness: irritability Increased fluid retention and increased BP Edema: peripheral and
Question: A nurse is caring for a 15-year-old girl who is recovering from an appendectomy. The nurse is trying to assess the patients level of
Hyperkalemia Nursing Mnemonics The hyperkalemia MACHINE Medications – ACE Inhibitors, NSAIDS, potassium-sparing diuretics Acidosis – Metabolic and respiratory Cellular destruction – burns, traumatic
6 L’s Lethargy Leg cramps Limp muscles Low, shallow respirations Lethal cardiac dysrythmias Lots of urine (polyuria)
Question: A nurse working in the newborn nursery is caring for an infant who was born 3 hours ago. The infant’s axillary temperature is 97.0F
My concern is . . . as with everything else . . . we have allowed antiquated systems and process and fear keep us from
Picture type O as a huge circle, like the universe, because they are the universal donor. They can give to everyone. However, also think of
Welcome, welcome, welcome . . . what is up guys? We are at it again, dropping another valuable podcast for you to enjoy. This will