Written by Michael Feder
This article was reviewed by Raelene Brooks, Dean, College of Nursing.
This article was updated on June 18, 2024.
Written by Michael Feder
This article was reviewed by Raelene Brooks, Dean, College of Nursing.
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The NCLEX®, or National Council Licensure Examination, is the licensing examination for nurses in the United States. This test is designed to measure the general knowledge and nursing skills that are required for entry-level professional nurses. The NCLEX is largely a multiple-choice test, meaning it will test your recall of specific information and situations from nursing school.
This is where nursing mnemonics can come in handy. Mnemonics are word devices designed to improve memory and recall. These devices can benefit nursing students, who need to memorize several multistep procedures and treatments to pass exams like the NCLEX after they have graduated nursing school.
All levels of nurses, from master’s students becoming nurse educators to RNs attaining a BSN, can benefit from having these nursing mnemonics in their back pocket. We’ve listed some helpful nursing mnemonics in alphabetical order to help you study.
The five A’s of Alzheimer’s diagnosis can help nurses identify Alzheimer’s in patients. The five A’s are:
Nurses can use the letter L to remember the signs of hypokalemia, which is a potassium deficiency. The signs are:
This mnemonic is designed to help nurses identify compartment syndrome, which can happen when there’s too much pressure around the patient’s muscles. The five P’s to check for compartment syndrome are:
This mnemonic is designed to help you memorize the six major causes of dyspnea, commonly known as shortness of breath. They are:
The adrenal glands help regulate essential functions in the body by producing hormones, including:
This mnemonic device is intended to help nurses remember the common side effects of steroid treatment. Steroids, particularly corticosteroids, are used to treat several conditions. Patients taking steroids may experience the following:
The basics of prenatal care can be remembered with the first six letters of the alphabet. Each letter represents a question for the nurse to ask a pregnant woman to further understand her condition. The questions are:
This acronym is designed to help you recognize a patient experiencing severe complications from taking birth control pills. The letters stand for:
This mnemonic is designed to help nurses discover possible causes of an altered mental state. This acronym stands for:
AIR RAID is an acronym that can help nurses identify when the epiglottis is inflamed due to bacterial infection. The letters stand for:
This phrase is designed to help nurses remember the common Parkinson’s medications. Each letter of this phrase, which starts with the name of a famous person who had Parkinson’s, the late boxing great Muhammad Ali, stands for:
This phrase is designed to help medical professionals remember fat-soluble vitamins. “All dogs eat kibble” stands for vitamins A, D, E and K. Those four, as opposed to water-soluble vitamins, are absorbed and transported in organic matter including or similar to fats.
The first letters of this phrase are designed to help nurses remember the steps in the general nursing process. They are:
APGAR is a standardized assessment used to gauge the health and responsiveness of a newborn at one minute and five minutes after birth. APGAR stands for:
Some treatment mnemonics use the name of the disease or condition they’re used for to make it easier to remember. This is the case with ASTHMA, which stands for the common treatments of asthma:
This mnemonic is designed to help nursing students remember which beta-blockers to use. B1 is for the heart (because we have one heart) and B2 is for the lungs (we have two lungs).
This mnemonic can help nurses determine whether a patient needs care at home, and what care they need. The letters stand for routine daily activities. Specifically:
BRAT stands for the diet treatment for nonchronic diarrhea. The letters stand for:
Nursing students may recall this is typically a short-term diet, as it is low in nutrients and easy to digest.
This acronym is designed to help nurses conduct a postpartum assessment on a pregnant patient. The letters stand for:
The letters can help nurses identify some of the warning signs of cancer, including:
The phrase “Clouds over grass, smoke over fire, chocolate on stomach” is designed to help nurses remember the proper ECG/EKG lead placement.
As nursing students prepare for the NCLEX, they may use this mnemonic to recall that the white lead (clouds) goes over the green lead (grass), the black lead (smoke) goes over the red lead (fire) and the brown lead goes on the stomach.
This phrase can help nurses assess a diabetes reaction: “Hot and dry: sugar high. Cold and clammy: need some candy.” This simplifies whether a diabetic patient is experiencing insulin levels that are too high or too low.
This acronym helps nurses remember and identify the signs of mania, which is a type of altered mental state indicative of bipolar 1 disorder. The letters stand for:
This phrase is designed to help nurses remember the medications most often used in emergencies. LEAN stands for:
This mnemonic is designed to help nurses identify the signs of endocarditis, which is inflammation of the inner linings of the heart. FAME stands for:
FAST is an acronym used by the American Stroke Association, designed to help both medical and nonmedical personnel identify the signs of a stroke. The letters stand for:
The five F’s as a mnemonic device are designed to help nurses and nursing students understand the risk factors of cholelithiasis, or gallstones. Cholelithiasis has several risk factors, but these are the most common:
FRIED is an acronym designed to help nurses identify symptoms of hypernatremia, a condition caused by high levels of sodium in the bloodstream. The letters stand for:
This acronym is designed to help nurses recognize preeclampsia in pregnant patients. This can be a high-risk condition for the fetus and the mother-to-be. The letters stand for:
This acronym is designed to help nurses remember the treatment for bradycardia, which is a slower-than-normal heart rate. The letters stand for:
This acronym is designed to help nurses remember the treatment for pulmonary edema, often caused by congestive heart failure. These letters stand for:
This mnemonic is designed to help nurses remember the treatment for myocardial infarction, more commonly known as a heart attack. The letters stand for:
This phrase can help nurses remember the systems of the body. They are:
This acronym is designed to help nurses identify the signs of appendicitis. The letters stand for:
This mnemonic is an acronym for the phrase “potassium inside, sodium outside” and is designed to help nurses remember where electrolytes are in the cell.
This phrase is designed to help nurses identify cor pulmonale, which is a condition that causes the right side of the heart to fail. The first letters of “please read his text” stand for:
PRICE is an acronym that can help nurses, and even patients, remember how to properly treat a fracture. The letters stand for:
This mnemonic is designed to help nurses remember the signs of hyponatremia, or low blood sodium (not to be confused with hypernatremia, or high sodium levels). The letters stand for:
This acronym is designed to help nurses remember the steps in a basic health history assessment. The letters stand for:
This mnemonic is designed to help nurses identify symptoms of organs and glands being overstimulated, which can lead to life-threatening complications if untreated. The signs of these conditions include:
SPAMS is an acronym designed to help nurses remember the causes of heart murmurs. The letters stand for:
The symptoms of hyperthyroidism can be represented and remembered by the acronym STING. The letters stand for:
The first letters in this phrase helps nurses remember the following common drug interactions with one another:
This acronym is designed to help nurses and medical professionals identify the signs of Parkinson’s disease. The letters stand for:
This acronym is designed to help nurses remember the treatment for congestive heart failure. The letters stand for:
Medications to treat HIV can be memorized with the abbreviation ZZLSD:
Depending on your field, you may have other, more specialized mnemonics to remember treatments, signs of conditions and medications. The nursing mnemonics in this article are simply some of the most common that describe patient health, treatments and medications learned in nursing school that may appear on the NCLEX.
Once you pass the NCLEX, meet the licensing requirements for the state in which you want to work, and get your RN license you’ll be prepared to start your career as a registered nurse. That’s where University of Phoenix (UOPX) comes in. UOPX can help you continue your nursing education or enhance your career with an online RN to BSN degree.
If you already have your BSN but are seeking a relevant master’s program, UOPX also offers a Master of Science in Nursing with a concentration in Nurse Education along with other nursing program options to consider.
NCLEX is a registered trademark of the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc.
A graduate of Johns Hopkins University and its Writing Seminars program and winner of the Stephen A. Dixon Literary Prize, Michael Feder brings an eye for detail and a passion for research to every article he writes. His academic and professional background includes experience in marketing, content development, script writing and SEO. Today, he works as a multimedia specialist at University of Phoenix where he covers a variety of topics ranging from healthcare to IT.
Dr. Raelene Brooks, dean of the College of Nursing, has been a registered nurse for more than 25 years and practiced extensively in the areas of ICU, trauma and critical care. Her publications include a focus on nursing education, critical care and diversity, equity and inclusion. She is a leader in creating, guiding and launching innovative curriculum.
This article has been vetted by University of Phoenix's editorial advisory committee.
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