Nclex Mnemonics 2020 2

SarahRN NCLEX Mnemonics
Compartment syndrome s/s: 5P’s: Pain, Pallor, Pulse decline, Pressure increase, Paresthesia
Hypocalcemia symptoms: CATS: Convulsion, Arrhythmias, Tetany, Stridor/Spasm
Hyperkalemia symptoms: MURDER: Muscle cramps (can lead to paralysis), Urine abnormalities,
Respiratory distress, Decrease cardiac contractibility, Ekg changes, Reflexes-(hyper or absent)
7A’s = Causes of Hyperkalemia
Artifact
Aldosterone antagonist
Addison’s disease
Acidosis
ACE inhibitors
Angiotensin receptor blocker
Anti-inflammatory
Hypokalemia symptoms: 6 L’s: Lethargy, Leg cramps, Limp muscle, Low respirations (shallow), Lethal
cardiac dysrhythmias, Lots of urine
Metabolic syndrome: We Better Think High Glucose= Waist circumference, Blood

pressure, Triglyceride, HDL, Glucose).
Acute myocardial infarction interventions: MONA

M – morphine sulfate
O – oxygen
N – nitroglycerine
A – ASA (acetylsalicylic acid)
3 D’s: Cardiac Tamponade (Beck’s Triad)
D: Distant or muffled heart sounds
D: Distended jugular veins
D: Decreased pulse pressure

“CAUTION” to describe cancer warning signs:
C – change in bowel or bladder habits

A – a sore that does not heal
U – unusual bleeding or discharge
T – thickening or lump
I – indigestion or difficulty swallowing
O – obvious change in size of a wart or mole
N – nagging cough or hoarseness
DeCORticate vs Decerebrate posturing
Hands together-towards the CORE=decorticate
FAST for the signs of a stroke.

Face, Arms, Speech, Time
PRICE -when treating fracture

Pressure
Rest
Ice
Compression
Elevation
APGAR score (done 1 minute and 5 minutes after baby is born)

Appearance: (Is the baby blue/pale, blue/pink, or pink?
Pulse: (is it more or less than 100, or absent?)
Grimace: (Response to stimulation)
Activity: (Flexing of the limbs, moving)
Respiration: (is the crying weak or strong, or no crying)
4 A’s = Four negative symptoms of schizophrenia.

A=affective flattening
A=anhedonia
A=apathy
A=attention problem
DRIP = Causes of acute and reversible forms of urinary incontinence
D: Delirium or dementia
R: Restricted mobility, retention
I: Infection (especially elderly), impaction (fecal)
P: Polyuria, pharmaceuticals
CAGE = alcohol use screening for intake
C: Have you ever felt it necessary to CUT DOWN on your drinking?

A: Has anyone ever told you they were ANNOYED by your drinking?
G: Have you ever felt GUILTY about your drinking?
E: Have you ever felt the need to have a drink in the morning for an EYE OPENER?
O-P-Q-R-S-T = Questions to ask about pain besides the pain scale
O=Onset of pain. (when did the pain start?)

P=Palliative or provocative factors for the pain. (what makes the pain feel better or worse?)
Q=Quality of pain. (Decribe what it feels like? Stinks, dull…)
R=Region affected. (Where is the pain?)
S=Severity of pain. (from 1-10 on the pain scale)
T=Timing/duration. (when does the pain start and how long does it last for?)
RAPID TRIAGE-AVPU
Alert
Verbal (responds to verbal)
Pain (responds to pain)
Unresponsive
ABCDE=Patient Assessment
Airway
Breathing
Circulation
Disability
Expose
Medication Administration Checklist: “TRAMP”
T: Time (check if right time to give meds)
R: Route (check if right route- oral, IV, SQ, IM, NG…)
A: Amount (is the dose correct)
M: Medication (is it the right medication)
P: Patient (ask the patient name and check ID)
Emergency Drugs to “LEAN” on
L: Lidocaine
E: Epinephrine
A: Atropine Sulfate
N: Narcan
AEIOU TIPS =Reasons why someone might be altered mental status
A=Alcohol/drugs
E=Endocrine
I=Insulin/Infection
O=Overdose
U=Uremia
T=Trauma
I=Infection
P=Psychiatric
S=Shock
GAL= Fast Acting Insulin
G=Glulisine (Apidra)
A=Aspart (Novolog)
L=Lispro (Humalog)
Intermediate Acting=NPH (Humulin)- (think N is the middle letter of alphabet so its intermediate/middle
one)
LLL=Long Acting Insulin
L=Long acting insulin
L=Levemir (detemir)
L=Lantus (glargine)
IDEA=Medication for bradycardia and hypotension
I: Isoproterenol
D: Dopamine
E: Epinephrine
A: Atropine Sulfate
ABCDE= treatment for Atrial Arrhythmias (think A from Atrial Arrhythmias start with A from
ABCDE)
A=Anticoagulant
B=Beta Blockers
C=Catheter Ablation
D=Digoxin
E=Electrocardioversion
PALS=ventricular arrhythmia treatment
P: Procainamide
A: Amiodarone
L: Lidocaine
S: Sotalol
SAMPLE-health history assessment includes
S: Symptoms
A: Allergy
M: Medications
P: Past Medical History
L: Last Oral Intake
E: Events leading up to the illness or injury
NNN for a Fetal Non-Stress Test:
Non reactive
Non stress test is
No good
VEAL CHOP- Fetal Accelerations and Decelerations:
VEAL= CHOP=
Variable deceleration Cord compression,
Early deceleration Head Compression
Acceleration Okay
Late acceleration Placental insufficency
Chorionic Villi Sampling & Alpha-fetoprotein
“Chorionic” has 9 letters and CVS is performed at 9 weeks gestation.
“Alpha Fetoprotein” has 16 letters and is measured at 16 weeks gestation
PRE= Preeclampsia Classic Triad:
P: Proteinuria
R: Rising blood pressure

E: Edema
AHEAD=Symptoms of Right-Sided Heart Failure
A: Anorexia and nausea
H: Hepatomegaly
E: Edema (usually in the feet and ankles)-which causes weight gain
A: Ascites
D: Distended neck vein
DOC HA= Symptoms of Left-Sided Heart Failure
D: Dyspnea
O: Orthopnea (is dyspnea in recumbent position)
C: Cough (productive)
H: Hemoptysis (Pink or blood-tinged sputum)

A: Adventitious breath/lung sounds (cracles/rales)
Reversible Causes of Cardiac Arrest
5 H’s
Hypovolemia, Hypoxia, Hydrogen ions (acidosis), Hyperkalemia or hypokalemia, Hypothermia,

Hypoglycemia
5 T’s
Tablets/Toxins, Tamponade (cardiac), Tension pneumothorax, Thrombosis (myocardial

infarction), Thromboembolism (pulmonary embolism), Trauma
Immunizations:
Birth-hep B
2,4,6, 8 (months) = 2,4,6, 8 who do we appreciate-strippers. Damn BaBy Rotate that ass on the Pole
Damn=Dtap
BaBy=Hep B Hib
Rotate= Rotavirus that ass on the
Pole=Polio(ipv)
*2 and 6 months have same vaccination and 4 months has everything the same except hep B
Diets:
Kidney abnormalities- do low protein diet
Heart-low sodium diet
Celiac- no BROW (barely, rice, oats, wheat) and thing that contain that
Milestones (from dirtyusmile peds)
months
3 Roll Laugh Smile
6 Sit Switch Schmooze Stranger
9 Pull Pincer Papa Play
12 Two legs Track Two words Two of us
6=all s’s (switch-object hand to hand. schmooze-babble. Stranger=stranger anxiety
12=all t’s (two legs-walk. Track-follow u hiding something behind ur back. Two of us-separation
anxiety(just mom))
9=all p’s (think 9 inch penis)-(pull to stand, pincer grasp, say papa, social play)
3=everything earlier (like if sit at 6m then roll b4. Laugh b4 babble..)
The Heart Block Poem: to identify different heart blocks on a EKG strip
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SarahRN NCLEX Mnemonics

Hypocalcemia symptoms: CATS: Convulsion, Arrhythmias, Tetany, Stridor/Spasm

7A’s = Causes of Hyperkalemia

Angiotensin receptor blocker

Metabolic syndrome: We Better Think High Glucose= Waist circumference, Blood

Acute myocardial infarction interventions: MONA

3 D’s: Cardiac Tamponade (Beck’s Triad)

D: Distant or muffled heart sounds

D: Distended jugular veins

D: Decreased pulse pressure

C – change in bowel or bladder habits

DeCORticate vs Decerebrate posturing

Hands together-towards the CORE=decorticate

FAST for the signs of a stroke.

PRICE -when treating fracture

APGAR score (done 1 minute and 5 minutes after baby is born)

4 A’s = Four negative symptoms of schizophrenia.

CAGE = alcohol use screening for intake

C: Have you ever felt it necessary to CUT DOWN on your drinking?

O-P-Q-R-S-T = Questions to ask about pain besides the pain scale

O=Onset of pain. (when did the pain start?)

Verbal (responds to verbal)

Pain (responds to pain)

Medication Administration Checklist: “TRAMP”

T: Time (check if right time to give meds)

R: Route (check if right route- oral, IV, SQ, IM, NG…)

A: Amount (is the dose correct)

M: Medication (is it the right medication)

P: Patient (ask the patient name and check ID)

Emergency Drugs to “LEAN” on

AEIOU TIPS =Reasons why someone might be altered mental status

GAL= Fast Acting Insulin

LLL=Long Acting Insulin

L=Long acting insulin

IDEA=Medication for bradycardia and hypotension

PALS=ventricular arrhythmia treatment

SAMPLE-health history assessment includes

P: Past Medical History

L: Last Oral Intake

E: Events leading up to the illness or injury

NNN for a Fetal Non-Stress Test:

Non stress test is

VEAL CHOP- Fetal Accelerations and Decelerations:

Early deceleration Head Compression

Late acceleration Placental insufficency

Chorionic Villi Sampling & Alpha-fetoprotein

“Chorionic” has 9 letters and CVS is performed at 9 weeks gestation.

“Alpha Fetoprotein” has 16 letters and is measured at 16 weeks gestation

PRE= Preeclampsia Classic Triad:

R: Rising blood pressure

AHEAD=Symptoms of Right-Sided Heart Failure

A: Anorexia and nausea

E: Edema (usually in the feet and ankles)-which causes weight gain

D: Distended neck vein

DOC HA= Symptoms of Left-Sided Heart Failure

O: Orthopnea (is dyspnea in recumbent position)

H: Hemoptysis (Pink or blood-tinged sputum)

Reversible Causes of Cardiac Arrest

Hypovolemia, Hypoxia, Hydrogen ions (acidosis), Hyperkalemia or hypokalemia, Hypothermia,

Tablets/Toxins, Tamponade (cardiac), Tension pneumothorax, Thrombosis (myocardial