NCLEX-RN cheat sheets

Types, tests, insulin timing, lows and sick days

From Diabetes mellitus and hypoglycemia; Endocrine drugs. Checked 2026-10-27.

Ketones or dehydration, potassium before insulin, fluids first

From Diabetic ketoacidosis and hyperosmolar state. Checked 2026-10-21.

Slow or fast thyroid, thyroid surgery, Addison's or Cushing's, SIADH or DI

From Thyroid and parathyroid disorders; Adrenal and pituitary disorders. Checked 2026-10-21.

Monitoring and reversal, bleeding watch, HIT, DVT and PE

From Cardiovascular drugs II: clotting, rhythm and angina; Venous thromboembolism and circulation. Checked 2026-10-27.

Order types, the rights and three checks, A Pinch drugs, controlled substances, before and after the dose

From Medication safety: rights, orders and reconciliation; High-alert and controlled medications; Before and after you give a medication. Checked 2026-10-21.

Equivalents, rounding, dimensional analysis, weight-based doses, IV rates, titration and NCSBN's calculation rules

From Dosage calculation I: conversions and doses; Dosage calculation II: IV rates and titration; NCSBN's calculation rules. Checked 2026-10-22.

Common stems by body system, stems that mislead, and what the class tells you to check

From Reading generic names: drug-class stems. Checked 2026-10-21.

IV fluids, sites and site checks, peripheral complications, central lines, CLABSI, flushing and parenteral nutrition

From IV therapy and peripheral lines; Central lines and parenteral nutrition. Checked 2026-10-21.

Left vs right, BNP and ejection fraction, drug checks, daily weights

From Heart failure; Cardiovascular drugs I: blood pressure and heart failure. Checked 2026-10-21.

BP categories, the crisis, arterial vs venous legs, aneurysm, Raynaud and Buerger

From Hypertension and vascular disease. Checked 2026-10-23.

Stable angina vs ACS, ECG and troponin, first actions, nitroglycerin, catheterization

From Coronary artery disease and acute coronary syndrome. Checked 2026-10-23.

Alarms and artifact, the main rhythms, shocks, heart blocks, devices, 12-lead placement

From Dysrhythmias, telemetry and pacemakers; Point-of-care testing, ECGs and specimens. Checked 2026-10-21.

Recognize shock, types by cause, the sepsis first hour, fluids and pressors, arterial lines

From Shock, sepsis and hemodynamic monitoring. Checked 2026-10-21.

Overload and deficit, sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium and phosphate

From Fluid balance: deficit and overload; Sodium and potassium; Calcium, magnesium and phosphate. Checked 2026-10-21.

Normal values, the four steps, compensation and the four imbalances

From Acid-base balance and blood gases. Checked 2026-10-21.

Standard and transmission-based precautions, hand hygiene, PPE order, sterile technique

From Standard precautions, hand hygiene and asepsis; Transmission-based precautions and PPE. Checked 2026-10-21.

Two identifiers and the time-out, falls and seizures, restraint rules, START triage, fire and exposures

From Client identification and error prevention; Preventing falls and injuries; Restraints and their alternatives; Emergency preparedness and hazardous materials. Checked 2026-10-21.

Assessment, pain scales, comfort measures, opioids, naloxone and non-opioids

From Pain assessment and nonpharmacological comfort; Pain management and reversal agents. Checked 2026-10-27.

Diets and textures, dysphagia, intake and output, NG and PEG feeding, bowel care, incontinence and catheters

From Nutrition and therapeutic diets; Feeding tubes and tube feedings; Bowel and bladder elimination. Checked 2026-10-21.

Assignment or delegation, the five rights, who does what, and who you see first

From Delegation, assignment and supervision; Prioritizing care and managing time. Checked 2026-10-21.

Scope and malpractice, informed consent and refusal, confidentiality, ethical principles, mandatory reporting

From Scope of practice and legal responsibilities; Client rights, advocacy and informed consent; Confidentiality, privacy and social media; Ethics and ethical dilemmas; Mandatory reporting, errors and unsafe practice. Checked 2026-10-21.

Hypoxia, oxygen devices, suctioning, asthma action plans, COPD oxygen

From Oxygenation, suctioning and pulmonary hygiene; Asthma and COPD. Checked 2026-10-21.

Pneumonia, TB skin tests, drugs and isolation, flu, pneumothorax, the drainage system, chest tube emergencies

From Pneumonia, tuberculosis and respiratory infections; Chest trauma, pneumothorax and chest tubes. Checked 2026-10-21.

Milestones, Erikson and Piaget, feeding, sleep and safety from birth to 17

From Growth and development: birth to 2 years; Growth and development: ages 3 to 17. Checked 2026-10-21.

Normal ranges, what changes your care, and how urgent it is

From Lab values I: blood counts, clotting and chemistry. Checked 2026-10-27.

Kidney and liver tests, cardiac markers, and drug levels

From Lab values II: kidney, liver, heart and drug levels. Checked 2026-10-27.

Ranges by age, oximetry limits, orthostatics, early warning signs and escalation

From Vital signs: measuring and interpreting; Recognizing deterioration across body systems. Checked 2026-10-21.

Compatibility, safe checks, monitoring, and reactions

From Blood products and transfusion reactions. Checked 2026-10-23.

Iron and B12 anemia, bleeding disorders, DIC, chemotherapy safety, neutropenia, oncologic emergencies

From Anemias and bleeding disorders; Cancer care and oncologic emergencies. Checked 2026-10-21.

Anaphylaxis, drug, latex and food allergies, HIV and PEP, lupus, hypersensitivity, transplant rejection

From Immune disorders, HIV and hypersensitivity; Allergies and anaphylaxis. Checked 2026-10-27.

Three kinds of AKI, potassium, CKD stages and diet, fistula and peritoneal care

From Acute kidney injury and chronic kidney disease; Dialysis and continuous renal replacement. Checked 2026-10-21.

Reflux, ulcers, bleeding and dumping; hepatitis, cirrhosis and its complications

From Upper GI disorders and GI bleeding; Liver disorders. Checked 2026-10-21.

IBD, diverticulitis, obstruction and NG tubes, appendicitis, ostomies, cholecystitis, pancreatitis

From Lower GI disorders and ostomies; Gallbladder and pancreas. Checked 2026-10-21.

Consciousness, GCS, pupils, rising ICP, head injury, meningitis, stroke, alteplase, swallowing

From Neuro assessment and increased intracranial pressure; Stroke. Checked 2026-10-27.

Seizure types, care during and after, status epilepticus, antiseizure drugs, EEG, injury levels, autonomic dysreflexia

From Seizures and epilepsy; Spinal cord injury. Checked 2026-10-21.

Fracture care, compartment syndrome, fat embolism, cast care, traction, hip and knee replacement

From Fractures, compartment syndrome and orthopedic surgery; Casts, splints, traction and braces. Checked 2026-10-21.

Burn depth, rule of nines, airway and fluids; drainage, dressings and drains; pressure injury stages

From Burns; Wounds, drains and negative-pressure therapy; Skin integrity and pressure injuries. Checked 2026-10-21.

Dating and T-P-A-L, tests by week, warning signs, bleeding, preeclampsia, magnesium, preterm labor

From Prenatal care; Complications of pregnancy. Checked 2026-10-23.

True vs false labor, stages, station, pain relief, oxytocin, emergencies, reading the tracing

From Labor and birth; Fetal monitoring and internal monitoring. Checked 2026-10-27.

Uterus and lochia, hemorrhage, mood, Apgar, first medicines, jaundice, low glucose, the high-risk newborn

From Postpartum care and complications; Newborn care; The high-risk newborn. Checked 2026-10-21.

Croup, epiglottitis, bronchiolitis, strep, cystic fibrosis, heart defects, Kawasaki disease and rheumatic fever

From Pediatric respiratory conditions; Pediatric cardiac conditions. Checked 2026-10-21.

Dehydration, bowel blockages, febrile seizures, shunts, Reye syndrome, anemia, sickle cell, leukemia, Wilms tumor and two kidney diseases

From Pediatric GI conditions and fluid balance; Pediatric neurological conditions; Pediatric hematology, oncology and renal conditions. Checked 2026-10-21.

Live vs non-live, who waits, sites and spacing, storage; childhood infections, genetics, lead

From Immunizations across the lifespan; Communicable diseases, genetics and poisoning. Checked 2026-10-21.

Techniques and blocks, the relationship and boundaries, the milieu, anxiety levels, defense mechanisms and crisis

From Therapeutic communication and the therapeutic environment; Anxiety, stress and crisis. Checked 2026-10-22.

Mood episodes, depression and mania care, suicide risk, antidepressants, the two drug emergencies, antipsychotics, lithium and benzodiazepines

From Depression, bipolar disorder and suicide risk; Psychiatric drugs. Checked 2026-10-27.

Schizophrenia, antipsychotics, hallucinations and delusions, intoxication and overdose, withdrawal and recovery

From Schizophrenia and psychotic disorders; Substance use disorders. Checked 2026-10-21.

Telling delirium from dementia, finding the cause, communication and safety, normal aging, medicines and elder abuse

From Delirium and dementia; Adults and older adults. Checked 2026-10-21.

Mandated reporting, red flags, partner violence, de-escalation, grief, hospice, advance directives, DNR and care after death

From Abuse, neglect and violence; Grief, loss, end-of-life and postmortem care; Advance directives and code status. Checked 2026-10-21.

Consent, fasting and home medicines, sedation safety and reversal, the OR, postop assessment and complications

From Preoperative care and moderate sedation; Postoperative care and complications. Checked 2026-10-21.

Highlight, matrix, drop-down, select all, select N, grouping, drag and drop, ordered, bowtie, trend and calculation items

From How highlight items work and how they're scored; Matrix multiple choice vs multiple response; Cloze, table and rationale drop-downs; Select all, select N, grouping, and the +/− trap; How drag-and-drop and ordered items work; How bowtie items work and how they're scored; Reading data over time; NCSBN's calculation rules. Checked 2026-10-21.