Common Nursing Mnemonics
Nurses often find themselves working in emergency situations where as part of their nursing process they need to think on their feet, act fast, and make quick diagnoses. This is where a mnemonic device can help. This learning technique helps those in nursing school retain key points of information and access them in an instant, which comes in handy during critical medical events.
Both nursing students and current nurses should know the most common nursing mnemonics, no matter what kind of nurse they are. Although many students learn these mnemonics in nursing school while studying for their exams, nursing mnemonics are bound to stick with nurses throughout their entire careers, acting as a shorthand language for that can make it easier for them to recall the information while they are practicing nursing care. The technique improves their ability to assess and address a variety of medical situations. Check out some of the most common nursing mnemonics below! Use them in your exams, and throughout your career.
LLLLLL
Hypokalemia is lower than normal potassium in the bloodstream, which can have an effect on nerve and muscle cells鈥攑articularly in the heart. Nurses use this mnemonic to help identify symptoms: lethargy, leg cramps, limp muscles, low, shallow respirations, lethal cardiac dysrhythmias, and lots of urine.
ACHES
Although birth control pills are a common method of contraception, some women experience complications from taking the pill. This mnemonic outlines the issues nurses need to address to determine complications associated with birth control: abdominal pain, chest pain, headaches, eye problems, and severe leg pain.
CATS
Nurses who want to remind themselves of the symptoms associated with hypocalcemia need to look for CATS: convulsions, arrhythmias, tetany, spasms, and stridor.
SALT LOSS
This longer mnemonic is used to remember the symptoms of hyponatremia: stupor/coma, anorexia, lethargy, tendon reflexes decreased, limp muscles, orthostatic hypotension, seizures/headaches, and stomach cramping.
HELLP
Severe preeclampsia can be especially damaging to pregnant women; if it鈥檚 not treated, it can turn into renal or liver failure, and lead to cardiovascular problems. That鈥檚 why nurses should be on the lookout for hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelet count to help make their diagnosis.
PISO
When nurses need to remind themselves of the location of electrolytes inside the cells, they remember this mnemonic. It means 鈥減otassium inside the cell, sodium outside the cell.鈥�
MACHINE
Using this mnemonic, nurses can help to diagnose hyperkalemia. The letters correspond to the symptoms or complications they need to look for: medications, acidosis, cellular destruction, hypoaldosteronism, intake, nephrons, and excretion.
FFFF
There are a lot of F鈥檚 to look for when exploring whether or not a patient is facing cholelithiasis risk factors, which may lead to gallbladder stones鈥攐ften caused by cholesterol. That鈥檚 why nurses need to determine if the patient is fat, forty, fertile, and female.
IDEA
Bradycardia relates to an abnormally low heart rate鈥攖hink less than 60 beats per minute. It can be life threatening, which is why nurses need to remember to look at the intake of isoproterenol, dopamine, epinephrine, and atropine sulfate.
FRIED
People who have proclaimed themselves to be 鈥渇ried鈥� may understand the inspiration behind this mnemonic, crafted to help nurses diagnose hypernatremia: fever, restless, increased fluid retention and increased blood pressure, edema, and decreased urinary output/dry mouth.
SLUDGE
It sounds gross, but this mnemonic that details cholinergic crisis signs and symptoms could help nurses to save lives in emergency situations where organs and glands are overstimulated. What are they looking for? Salvation, lacrimation, urination, defecation, gastric upset, and emesis.
White On Right, Smoke Over Fire
This mnemonic helps nurses figure out where to place an EKG lead. While there are many variations of this mnemonic, this one tends to be the most widely recognized and used for this situation.
A Nice, Delicious PIE
When doing a general nursing evaluation, nurses will remind themselves of this mnemonic to make sure they鈥檙e doing an assessment, offering a nursing diagnosis, then creating a plan, interventions, and evaluation.
These Drugs Can Interact - TDCI
Drug interaction can have a variety of effects on a patient, from drugs canceling each other out, to causing serious medical issues. This mnemonic highlights drugs that can interact: theophylline, dilantin, coumadin, and ilosone.
AIR RAID
Sometimes, the epiglottitis can become inflamed and block airways thanks to a bacterial infection. It can lead to serious issues if a nurse doesn鈥檛 use this mnemonic to look at airway inflammation, increased pulse, restlessness, retractions, anxiety increased, inspiratory stridor, and drooling.
LEAN
Emergency situations can be high stress, which is why this mnemonic can be a big help when they have to act fast in intense environments. It reminds nurses of the 鈥渄rugs to lean on鈥� in emergency care: lidocaine, epinephrine, atropine sulfate, and narcan.
SAMPLE
Even basic health history assessments have an associated mnemonic, so nurses remember every step they need to follow to get a full picture of a client鈥檚 health. That鈥檚 why they look at symptoms, allergies, medications, past medical history, last oral intake, and events leading up to the illness/injury.
SPAMS
No, not the canned ham鈥攖his is a different kind of spam, detailing what nurses need to look for when investigating the causes of a heart murmur. Addressing the stenosis of valve, partial obstruction, aneurysms, mitral regurgitation and septal defect can help a nurse make the distinction between a harmless murmur, versus one that points to a bigger cardiac problem.
BATTED
Nurses in personal care situations may call on this mnemonic to help them determine whether or not their patient is capable of caring for themselves. To determine their activity of daily living (or ADL), they look at bathing, ambulation, toileting, transfers, eating, and dressing.
MOAN
This mnemonic outlines the treatment protocol for a heart attack, or myocardial infarction. It stands for morphine, oxygen, aspirin, and nitrates鈥攁nd the quicker treatment is given, the less likely there is to be heart damage.
Both seasoned nurses who are looking to take their careers to the next level, or aspiring nurses who want to get started in nursing school, can benefit from 黑料传送门鈥檚 BSN and MSN programs. Each program is geared to set students up for success and progress their careers, ensuring they鈥檒l get the most out of nursing school and professional experiences. It鈥檚 rewarding, challenging, and an optimal space to grow and learn, from the ins and outs of medical procedures to mnemonics.
