Abdominal Pain Assessment Abdominal Pain is a common presenting concern and can be related to an intra-abdominal process or to causes originating outside the abdomen. It is often a benign complaint but can also represent an underlying serious/urgent pathology. A detailed...

Acute Kidney Injury Formerly known as acute renal failure, acute kidney injury (AKI) is a reversible rapid reduction in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) or kidney function, resulting in an increase in serum blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, and metabolic waste...

Affirming Care for Patients who are LGBTQIA2+ Affirming care recognizes the significant impact of sexual and gender minority (SGM) status on a person’s health and is critical to ensuring SGM patients receive culturally competent and clinically appropriate care (McElwain & Carr, 2021...

Alcohol Withdrawal Scale: CIWA-Ar The Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment of Alcohol Scale – Revised (CIWA-Ar) can help determine the need for medically supervised withdrawal management in patients who are able to communicate symptoms to their providers. Research has...

Assessing Fall Risk and Reducing Falls in the Elderly More than one in four American adults 65 years of age and older have reported falling and one in five sustain a severe fall-related injury, including fractures and traumatic brain injuries (CDC, 2024). Falls are the leading cause of injury...

Assessment and Diagnosis of Heart Failure Heart failure (HF) is a complex clinical syndrome resulting from any structural or functional impairment of ventricular filling or ejection of blood. Heart failure symptoms include those related to fluid retention, such as leg swelling...

Atropine Sulfate Atropine is an anticholinergic drug that blocks the action of acetylcholine at parasympathetic sites in smooth muscle, secretory glands, and the central nervous system (CNS). It increases cardiac output and dries secretions. It is a competitive...

Back Pain Assessment Back pain is one of the most common causes for which people seek emergency care. Back pain can be relentless, causing some people to feel significantly debilitated. Back pain can affect people of any age. Mechanical back pain is the cause of 90...

Blood Products and Transfusion It is critical for nurses to know and understand the principles of blood transfusion to prevent life-threatening transfusion reactions from occurring. This pocket card reviews the different types of blood products as well as nursing tips for...

Blood Type Compatibility and Transfusion Reactions This pocket card reviews blood type compatibility, the different types of transfusion reactions that can occur, signs and symptoms, and treatment strategies.Blood Type Compatibility (American Red Cross, n.d.) Blood types are determined by...

Chest Pain Asssessment Patients who present with chest pain can be challenging, as there are so many differential diagnoses to consider. It is imperative to first rule out that the cause is not a result of true cardiac disease. Cardiac disease is the leading cause of...

Chronic Kidney Disease Previously referred to as chronic renal failure, chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a progressive, irreversible loss of kidney function resulting in reduced filtration, build-up of toxins and fluid, and electrolyte imbalances. Continued decline in...