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The NCLEX-RN® cheat sheet library

High-yield one-pagers you can filter by subject and body system. The lab values sheet is free to read and print; the rest open as soon as you have an account.

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Subject

Body system

Lab Values

Free
FundamentalsAll Systems

Reference ranges, plus the critical value or nursing implication that makes each one testable.

Electrolytes

Sodium135–145 mEq/L · neuro changes and seizures at the extremes
Potassium3.5–5.0 mEq/L · dysrhythmias; peaked T waves and wide QRS when high
Calcium (total)9.0–10.5 mg/dL · low → Chvostek/Trousseau, tetany; high → stones, constipation
Magnesium1.5–2.5 mEq/L · low → hyperreflexia, torsades; high → loss of DTRs, respiratory depression
Phosphorus3.0–4.5 mg/dL · moves inversely to calcium
Chloride98–106 mEq/L · follows sodium

Renal and metabolic

BUN10–20 mg/dL · rises with dehydration, GI bleed, and renal failure
Creatinine0.6–1.2 mg/dL · the single best renal marker
Fasting glucose70–110 mg/dL · HbA1c goal <7%; newborn >40 mg/dL
Albumin3.5–5.0 g/dL · low → edema and poor wound healing
Ammonia15–45 mcg/dL · high in hepatic encephalopathy

Hematology and coagulation

Hemoglobin12–18 g/dL · transfusion often considered below 7 g/dL
Hematocrit36–54% · roughly 3× the hemoglobin
WBC5,000–10,000/µL · below 1,000 neutrophils → neutropenic precautions
Platelets150,000–400,000/µL · <50,000 bleeding risk, <20,000 spontaneous bleeding
INR0.8–1.1 (2–3 therapeutic on warfarin) · hold above 4
aPTT30–40 sec (1.5–2.5× control on heparin)

ABGs and cardiac

pH7.35–7.45 · ROME: respiratory opposite, metabolic equal
PaCO₂ / HCO₃35–45 mmHg / 22–26 mEq/L
PaO₂80–100 mmHg · below 60 = respiratory failure
Troponin<0.04 ng/mL · rises 3–4 hours after myocardial injury
BNP<100 pg/mL · above 100 suggests heart failure

Drug levels

Digoxin0.5–2.0 ng/mL
Lithium0.6–1.2 mEq/L (toxic above 1.5)

High-Alert Medications

Locked
PharmacologyAll Systems

Therapeutic ranges, antidotes, and the assessment that must happen before you give the dose.

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Prioritization Frameworks

Locked
Management of CareAll Systems

Maslow, ABCs, and safety — applied in the order the NCLEX expects.

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Delegation Rules — RN vs LPN vs UAP

Locked
Management of CareAll Systems

Who can do what, and the four things that are never delegated.

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Heart Failure

Locked
Adult HealthCardiovascular

Left vs right failure, the drugs that unload the heart, and the assessment findings that decide your next action.

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Downloadable resources

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Free trial4 video lessons · 17 quiz questions

Watch the video course for this resource

Lab values, high-alert meds, prioritization frameworks, and delegation rules — the four things you'll be tested on most. Each lesson ends with a 3-question check, and a final 5-question exam at the end.

  1. L1

    Lab values you must know cold

    The core electrolytes, ABGs, coags, and CBC ranges that show up on nearly every exam.

    3-question quiz after
  2. L2

    High-alert medications

    Digoxin, lithium, warfarin, heparin, insulin — antidotes, holds, and toxicity signs.

    3-question quiz after
  3. L3

    Prioritization frameworks

    ABC, Maslow, acute-over-chronic, and unstable-over-stable — in the order you should apply them.

    3-question quiz after
  4. L4

    Delegation — RN vs LPN vs UAP

    Who can do what, and the 5 tasks that never leave the RN.

    3-question quiz after
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How to use these sheets

  • Keep the sheet for your current topic open while you drill questions — look up, don't guess
  • Every time you miss an item, add the concept in the margin of the matching sheet
  • By exam week you should be able to recreate each sheet from memory on a blank page
Rule: Never delegate the nursing process. Assessment, planning, and evaluation stay with the RN — that single rule answers a surprising number of Management of Care items.

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