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Mnemonics for Nurses

young nurse Mnemonics are handy ways to remember things. The clinical team here at Lippincott NursingCenter has organized this list of nursing mnemonics to help you structure your care and remember important concepts. Use them to help you streamline tasks such as how to organize your day and communicate effectively, as well as memory aids for physiology, pathophysiology, signs and symptoms, and more. These acronyms are great study tools as well!

Download all mnemonics as a .pdf to make flashcards!

General	Clinical
Organization & Teamwork	Laboratory Values
Assessment	Acid/Base
Documentation	Medications
Communication	Cardiovascular System
	Respiratory System
	Gastrointestinal System
	Renal System
	Musculoskeletal System
	Hematologic/Immunological Systems
	Neurologic System
	Integumentary System
	Endocrine System
	Psychiatric/Mental Health
	Women's Health

General

Organization & teamwork

To organize your day, think IMAGE

Introduce yourself
Medications
Assessment
Goals
Explain and educate

When first meeting someone, think ABCD

Always introduce yourself
Be transparent
Clarify how you should be addressed
Document your name and role on communication boards and educational materials

To remember the nursing process, think ADPIE

Assess
Diagnose
Plan
Intervene
Evaluate

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Assessment POCKET CARD

To assess a symptom, think OLD CART

Onset
Location
Duration
Characteristics
Aggravating/associated factors
Relieving factors
Treatment/timing

To evaluate a symptom, think PQRST

Provocative/palliative
Quality/quantity
Region/radiation
Severity/scale
Timing

To remember the activities of daily living (ADLs), think BATTED

Bathing
Ambulation
Toileting
Transfers
Eating
Dressing

To assess the pupils, think PERRLA

Pupils
Equal
Round
Reactive to…
Light and…
Accommodation

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Documentation POCKET CARD

When documenting, think PIE

Problem
Intervention
Evaluation

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Communication

For a concise, comprehensive approach to communicate about a patient’s condition, think SBAR

Situation
Background
Assessment
Recommendation

To improve your listening skills, think SOLER up

Squarely face the patient
Open your posture (uncrossed arms)
Lean toward the patient
Eye contact
Relax

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CLINICAL

Laboratory Values POCKET CARD

To remember the signs and symptoms of hypokalemia, think of the 6 L’s

Lethargy
Leg cramps
Limp muscles
Low, shallow respirations
Lethal cardiac arrhythmias
Lots of urine (polyuria)

To remember the causes of hyperkalemia, think MACHINE

Medications (ACE inhibitors, NSAIDs, K-sparing diuretics)
Acidosis
Cellular destruction (burns, hemolysis)
Hypoaldosteronism
Intake (excess)
Nephrons (kidney failure)
Excretion (impaired)

To remember signs and symptoms of hyperkalemia, think MURDER

Muscle weakness
Urine (oliguria, anuria)
Respiratory distress
Decreased cardiac contractility
ECG changes
Reflexes (hyperreflexia or areflexia (flaccid)

To remember the clinical manifestations of hypernatremia, think SALT

Skin flushed
Agitation
Low-grade fever
Thirst

To remember the signs of hypoglycemia, think TIRED

Tachycardia
Irritability
Restlessness
Excessive hunger
Diaphoresis

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Acid/Base

To remember how alkalosis and acidosis affect the pH, remember this mnemonic

Alkalosis has a K, therefore it is Kicking the pH up!
Acidosis has a D, therefore it is Dropping the pH down!

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Medications

To remember the warning signs of oral contraceptive complications, think ACHES

Abdominal pain
Chest pain
Headache (severe)
Eye (blurred vision)
Sharp leg pain

To remember the pharmacokinetic properties of a drug, think ADME

Absorption
Distribution
Metabolism
Elimination

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Cardiovascular System POCKET CARD

To assess chest pain, think LOCATE

Location/radiation
Onset/duration
Character
Associated symptoms
Treatments
Eliminates/aggravates

To remember the common forms of cyanotic congenital heart diseases, think of the 5 T’s

Tetralogy of Fallot
Transposition of the great vessels
Truncus arteriosus
Tricuspid atresia
Total anomalous pulmonary venous connection

To remember the heart valve auscultation sites, think All Patients Take Meds

Aortic
Pulmonic
Tricuspid
Mitral

To remember blood flow through the heart valves, think Try Pulling My Aorta

Tricuspid
Pulmonic
Mitral
Aortic

To remember Beck’s triad (associated with acute cardiac tamponade), remember the 3 D’s

Distant heart sounds
Distended jugular veins
Decreased arterial pressure

To remember the potential complications of myocardial infarction, think DARTH VADER

Death
Arrhythmia
Rupture
Tamponade
Heart failure
Valvular disease
Aneurysm of ventricle
Dressler’s syndrome
Emboli
Recurrence

To remember the treatments for atrial fibrillation: ABCDE

Antiarrhythmics (amiodarone, pronestyl)
Beta blockers (metoprolol, labetalol)
Calcium channel blockers (diltiazem)
Digoxin
Electricity (cardioversion)

To remember the signs and symptoms of MI, think DANCEPAD

Dyspnea
Anxiety
Nausea and vomiting
Crushing substernal chest pain
Elevated temperature
Pallor
Arrhythmias
Diaphoresis

To remember the causes of pulseless arrest including pulseless electrical activity (PEA), asystole, ventricular fibrillation, and ventricular tachycardia.), think of the H’s and T’s

Hypovolemia
Hypoxia
Hypothermia
Hypoglycemia
Hyper/hypokalemia
Hydrogen ions (acidosis)

Toxins
Tamponade
Tension pneumothorax
Thrombosis
Trauma

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Respiratory System POCKET CARD

To remember the symptoms of croup, remember the 3 S’s

Stridor
Subglottic swelling
Seal-bark cough

To remember the signs of epiglottitis, think AIR RAID

Airway closed
Increased pulse
Restlessness
Retractions
Anxiety increased
Inspiratory stridor
Drooling

To remember the signs and symptoms of tension pneumothorax, think P-THORAX

Pleuritic pain
Tracheal deviation
Hyperresonance
Onset sudden
Reduced breath sounds and dyspnea
Absent fremitus
X-ray shows lung collapse

To remember what happens in acute respiratory distress syndrome, think ARDS

Assault to the pulmonary system
Respiratory distress
Decreased lung compliance
Severe respiratory failure

To remember asthma treatments, thinks ASTHMA

Adrenergic agonists
Steroids
Theophylline
Hydration
Masked oxygen
Anticholinergics

To remember treatment for pulmonary edema, think LMNOP

Lasix
Morphine
Nitroglycerin
Oxygen
Position/positive pressure ventilation

To remember preparation for intubation/airway management: SOAP-ME

Suction
Oxygen
Airway equipment
Positioning and people (right staff)
Medications
Equipment and EtCO₂

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Gastrointestinal System POCKET CARD

When assessing the abdomen, assess all 4 quadrants for DR GERM

Distension
Rigidity
Guarding
Evisceration/Ecchymosis
Rebound tenderness
Masses

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Renal System

To remember the indications for dialysis, think AEIOU

Acid-base problems
Electrolyte imbalances
Intoxication
Overload (fluid)
Uremia

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Musculoskeletal System POCKET CARD

To remember the functions of muscles, think MPH

Movement
Posture
Heat

To remember key diagnostic tests for hip dysplasia, think OTB

Ortolani
Trendelenburg
Barlow

To remember the risk factors for osteoporosis, think ACCESS

Alcohol
Corticosteroids
Calcium deficiency (low intake)
Estrogen deficiency
Smoking
Sedentary lifestyle

To relieve pain and swelling immediately after an injury, think RICE

Rest
Ice
Compression
Elevation

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Hematologic/Immunological Systems

To remember the types of WBCs and their descending proportion in a blood sample, think Never Let Monkeys Eat Bananas

Neutrophils
Lymphocytes
Monocytes
Eosinophils
Basophils

To remember the key components of blood, think PLATE

Plasma
Leukocytes
AB antigens
Thrombocytes
Erythrocytes

To remember the signs of Kawasaki disease, think CRASH & Burn

Conjunctivitis (non-purulent)
Rash
Adenopathy (cervical; often unilateral)
Strawberry tongue
Hands (palmar erythema/swelling)
Burn (fever for more than 5 days)

To remember the clinical features of scleroderma, think CREST

Calcinosis
Raynaud’s phenomenon
Esophageal dysfunction
Sclerodactyly
Telangiectasia

To remember the types of hypersensitivity reactions, think ACID

Allergic/anaphylactic (Type I)
Cytotoxic (Type II)
Immune-complex mediated (Type III)
Delayed (Type IV)

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Neurologic System POCKET CARD

To remember the signs of Parkinson’s disease, think SMART

Shuffling gait
Mask-like face
Akinesia
Rigidity
Tremor

Teach patients to think FAST about warning signs of stroke

Facial droop
Arm weakness
Slurred speech
Time to call 9-1-1

When performing a neurovascular assessment, think of the 6 P’s

Pain
Pallor
Paresthesia
Pulselessness
Poikilothermia
Paralysis

To remember causes of altered mental status, think MOVE STUPID or AEIOU TIPS

Metabolic
Oxygen
Vascular
Endocrine
Seizure
Trauma
Uremia
Psychiatric
Infectious
Drugs

Alcohol
Epilepsy
Insulin
Overdose
Uremia
Trauma
Infection
Psychiatric/poison
Stroke

To remember the cranial nerves and their order think of the saying, “On Old Olympus’s Towering Tops, A Finn and German Viewed Some Hops”

Olfactory (CNI)
Optic (CN II)
Oculomotor (CN III)
Trochlear (CN IV)
Trigeminal (CN V)
Abducens (CN VI)
Facial (CN VII)
Acoustic (CN VIII)
Glossopharyngeal (CN IX)
Vagus (CN X)
Spinal accessory (CN XI)
Hypoglossal (CN XII)

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Integumentary System POCKET CARD

To identify wounds with increased superficial bacterial burden, think NERDS

Nonhealing
Exudative
Red and bleeding
Debris on the surface
Smell or unpleasant odor

To assess skin lesions for melanoma, think ABCDE

Asymmetry
Border
Color/configuration
Diameter/drainage
Evolving

To prevent skin cancers, teach patients to be sun AWARE

Avoid unprotected UV exposure; seek shade
Wear sunprotective clothing, hat, and sunglasses
Apply sunscreen generously and often
Routinely check skin and report changes
Educate yourself and others

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Endocrine System

To remember the early signs of syndrome of inappropriate antidiurectic hormone (SIADH), think FLAT

Fatigue
Lethargy
Anorexia
Thirst

To remember the classic signs of diabetes, think of the 3 P’s

Polyuria
Polydipsia
Polyphagia

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Psychiatric/Mental Health

When caring for a patient with a behavioral health disorder in an acute care setting, think ESCAPE

Early assessment
Symptom identification
Choose communication techniques wisely
Assess history of prior treatment
Psychiatric medication reconciliation and maintenance
Eliminate or decrease stressors

When assessing for signs and symptoms of depression, think AWESOME

Affect flat
Weight change (loss or gain)
Energy loss
Sad feelings/suicide thoughts, plans, or attempts, sexual inhibitions, sleep change (loss or excess), social withdrawal
Other (guilt, loss of pleasure, hopelessness)
Memory loss
Emotional blunting

When caring for patients who are depressed, think COMPARE

Consult with staff
Observe if suicidal
Maintain personal contact
Provide a safe environment
Assess for suicidal ideation
Remove dangerous objects
Encourage expression of feelings

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Women's Health

To remember the signs of HELLP syndrome, think HELLP

Hemolysis
Elevated Liver enzymes
Low Platelets

To remember the 3 major causes of dysfunctional uterine bleeding (DUB), think DUB

Don’t ovulate (anovulation)
Unusual corpus luteum activity (prolonged or insufficient)
Birth control pills

When performing a post-partum examination, think BUBBLES

Breast
Uterus
Bowel
Bladder
Lochia
Episiotomy
Surgical site (for Cesarean section)

During prenatal visits, think ABCDE

Amniotic fluid leakage
Bleeding vaginally
Contractions
Edema
Fetal movement

To remember the classic triad of preeclampsia, think PRE

Proteinuria
Rising blood pressure
Edema

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