NURSING SCHOOL Cheat Sheet 2026

The 21 highest-yield NURSING SCHOOL facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. Which action best demonstrates respect for a patient's autonomy? → Allowing the patient to refuse treatment after being informed of the risks
2. Which pain assessment scale is most appropriate for a non-verbal patient or an infant? → FLACC Scale
3. When performing a sterile dressing change, the nurse accidentally touches the sterile field with an ungloved hand. What should the nurse do? → Discard the sterile field and set up a new one
4. Which of the following is a correct technique when taking an oral temperature with a glass thermometer? → Wait 15 minutes after the patient drinks cold water before measuring
5. A patient is admitted with dehydration. Which assessment finding is most consistent with this condition? → Decreased skin turgor and dry mucous membranes
6. A nurse is using the SBAR communication tool. What does the 'R' in SBAR stand for? → Recommendation
7. A patient is placed in Fowler's position. At what angle is the head of the bed elevated? → 45–60 degrees
8. Which nursing intervention is the highest priority for a patient experiencing anaphylaxis? → Administer epinephrine and maintain airway
9. A nurse applies standard precautions. Which patient condition requires droplet precautions in addition to standard precautions? → Influenza
10. When caring for a patient in contact precautions, the nurse should don PPE in which order before entering the room? → Mask, goggles, gown, gloves
11. A nurse is preparing to give an injection. Which site is most appropriate for an intramuscular (IM) injection in an adult? → Ventrogluteal muscle
12. Which vital sign finding should be reported to the charge nurse immediately in an adult patient? → Heart rate of 112 beats per minute
13. A nurse is preparing to perform hand hygiene. According to the CDC, how long should hands be scrubbed with soap and water? → At least 20 seconds
14. A nurse is caring for a patient with a nasogastric (NG) tube. Before administering tube feeding, what is the first action? → Verify tube placement by checking pH or x-ray confirmation
15. Which position is recommended to prevent aspiration in a patient receiving enteral tube feedings? → Head of bed elevated 30–45 degrees
16. When documenting in a patient's medical record, which principle is most important? → Record entries that are accurate, timely, and objective
17. A nurse is caring for a patient with a stage 2 pressure ulcer. Which description best matches this finding? → Partial-thickness skin loss with a shallow open wound
18. A nurse is about to administer a medication. Which of the following is the correct order of the 'rights' of medication administration? → Right patient, right drug, right dose, right route, right time
19. What is the primary purpose of the nursing process? → To provide a systematic framework for individualized patient care
20. During assessment, a nurse auscultates the lungs and hears a crackling, bubbling sound on inspiration. This is documented as: → Crackles (rales)
21. A patient's urine output over 8 hours is 200 mL. How should the nurse interpret this finding? → Oliguria — below the expected minimum output