Nursing abbreviations and mnemonics

Safety and emergency

• CAB Compressions, Airway, Breathingsee warning

  The sequence for adult CPR, which reversed the older ABC order so that chest compressions begin first rather than after airway and rescue breaths.

  • Compressions — start chest compressions.
  • Airway — open the airway.
  • Breathing — deliver rescue breaths.

  On the exam: The item is nearly always the contrast with ABC: assessment priority is A-B-C, resuscitation sequence is C-A-B. A question that names cardiac arrest and offers both is testing whether you noticed the switch.

  Resuscitation sequences are set by the American Heart Association and are revised on a multi-year cycle. Treat this entry as vocabulary, not as a protocol — the current guideline is the authority for practice.

• LMNOP Lasix, Morphine, Nitrates, Oxygen, Positionsee warning

  An older memory aid associated with acute heart failure teaching. Like MONA, it is a name-shaped list rather than an order of operations.

  • Lasix (furosemide).
  • Morphine.
  • Nitrates.
  • Oxygen.
  • Position — upright.

  On the exam: Appears in review material as an expansion item.

  Outdated as a description of practice, and for the same reason as MONA — the role of morphine in particular has been reconsidered. Vocabulary only.

• MONA Morphine, Oxygen, Nitroglycerin, Aspirinsee warning

  A memory aid from older cardiac teaching, listing four things historically associated with the early management of chest pain. Note that the letters were never the order of administration — they only spell a name.

  • Morphine.
  • Oxygen.
  • Nitroglycerin.
  • Aspirin.

  On the exam: Still appears in review material and in question banks, which is the only reason it is here. Where it is asked, the item is a straight expansion.

  Outdated as a description of practice. Cardiac guidance has changed substantially since this mnemonic was coined — routine oxygen for patients who are not hypoxic and routine morphine have both been reconsidered. Treat MONA as a historical term you may be asked to expand, never as a sequence to follow.

• PASS Pull, Aim, Squeeze, Sweep

  How a portable fire extinguisher is operated. It expands the final letter of RACE, and the two are usually taught and tested in the same breath.

  • Pull the pin.
  • Aim at the base of the fire, not at the flames.
  • Squeeze the handle.
  • Sweep from side to side.

  On the exam: The tested detail is almost always the A: aiming at the base rather than the visible flame. Items are built so that "aim at the flames" is the attractive wrong answer.

• RACE Rescue, Alarm, Confine, Extinguish

  The order of response taught for a fire in a healthcare facility. It is the single most reliably tested mnemonic in nursing orientation material, and it pairs with PASS, which covers the last letter in detail.

  • Rescue — move anyone in immediate danger away from the fire first.
  • Alarm — activate the alarm and call it in.
  • Confine — close doors and windows to contain smoke and flame.
  • Extinguish — use an extinguisher only if the fire is small and contained.

  On the exam: Almost always asked as an ordering question: given a scenario, what does the nurse do first? The answer is the R, and the reason the item works is that alerting others feels more urgent than moving one person.

• RICE Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevationsee warning

  The long-taught approach to a soft-tissue injury. Variants add a P for Protection at the front (PRICE) or a further P for Protection and Prevention (POLICE, which replaces Rest with Optimal Loading).

  • Rest.
  • Ice.
  • Compression.
  • Elevation.

  On the exam: Asked as a straight expansion item. Where an exam offers both RICE and PRICE, it is testing whether the Protection step is recognized.

  Sports-medicine guidance has moved considerably since RICE was coined in the 1970s, and several newer acronyms exist precisely because of that. Learn it as vocabulary that an exam may ask about, not as current injury management.

• START Simple Triage And Rapid Treatment

  A mass-casualty triage system that sorts people into four color categories by how quickly they need care, rather than by how badly injured they are.

  • Red — immediate.
  • Yellow — delayed.
  • Green — minor, often described as the walking wounded.
  • Black — expectant.

  On the exam: The tested idea is counterintuitive and that is why it is tested: in a mass-casualty setting, triage sorts by survivability and urgency, not by severity alone.

Assessment and prioritization

• A&O ×3 / ×4 alert and oriented to person, place, time (×3) — and situation (×4)

  Shorthand for a mental-status check: the patient is awake and knows who they are, where they are, roughly when it is, and — for ×4 — why they are there.

  On the exam: Tested as what each "×" adds, and as a level-of-consciousness ladder alongside AVPU and the Glasgow Coma Scale.

• ABC Airway, Breathing, Circulation

  The classic priority framework: airway problems outrank breathing problems, which outrank circulation problems. It is the backbone of prioritization questions across every nursing exam.

  • Airway — is the passage open and clear?
  • Breathing — is air actually moving?
  • Circulation — is blood reaching tissue?

  On the exam: Prioritization items give four plausible concerns and ask which the nurse addresses first. Working down the letters resolves most of them. Note that the order flips to CAB for adult CPR, which is a separate item entirely.

• ABCDE Airway, Breathing, Circulation, Disability, Exposure

  The primary survey used for trauma and for any rapid head-to-toe assessment: ABC extended by a neurological check and full exposure of the patient to find what has not yet been seen.

  • Airway (with cervical spine care).
  • Breathing and ventilation.
  • Circulation and bleeding control.
  • Disability — neurological status.
  • Exposure — undress and examine, while preventing heat loss.

  On the exam: Distinguish this from the skin-lesion ABCDE, which uses the same five letters for something completely unrelated. Exams do put both in the same set.

• ABCDE (skin lesions) Asymmetry, Border, Color, Diameter, Evolving

  The five features described when a skin lesion is being characterized. Same five letters as the trauma survey, entirely different content — which is exactly why exams like the pair.

  • Asymmetry — one half unlike the other.
  • Border — irregular or poorly defined edges.
  • Color — more than one shade within the lesion.
  • Diameter — commonly described using about 6 mm as the reference point.
  • Evolving — changing in size, shape or color over time.

  On the exam: Asked as a definition item: which letter stands for which feature. The E is the one most often missed, because it was added to the list later than the other four.

• AEIOU-TIPS Alcohol, Epilepsy, Insulin, Overdose, Uremia — Trauma, Infection, Psychiatric, Stroke

  A memory aid for the causes of an altered level of consciousness.

  • Alcohol
  • Epilepsy (seizure)
  • Insulin (blood glucose too high or too low)
  • Overdose
  • Uremia (kidney failure)
  • Trauma
  • Infection
  • Psychiatric
  • Stroke

  On the exam: Tested as a recall item and as the structure behind "which should be checked first" items — the glucose is the classic answer because it is the quickest to find.

• AVPU Alert, Verbal, Pain, Unresponsive

  A four-level scale for level of consciousness, used as a rapid alternative to the more detailed Glasgow Coma Scale.

  • Alert — awake and responsive without prompting.
  • Verbal — responds when spoken to.
  • Pain — responds only to a painful stimulus.
  • Unresponsive — no response to any stimulus.

  On the exam: Asked as an ordering item: the scale runs from most to least responsive, so a patient who answers when spoken to is V, not A.

• CAUTION Change in bowel or bladder habits, A sore that does not heal, Unusual bleeding or discharge, Thickening or lump, Indigestion or difficulty swallowing, Obvious change in a wart or mole, Nagging cough or hoarsenesssee warning

  A long-standing public-awareness list of general warning signs, taught for its structure as much as its content.

  On the exam: Asked as an expansion item. It is a list of things that prompt a conversation with a clinician, and exams frame it that way.

  Awareness vocabulary, not a diagnostic checklist. None of these findings means any one thing on its own.

• DCAP-BTLS Deformities, Contusions, Abrasions, Punctures, Burns, Tenderness, Lacerations, Swelling

  A memory aid for what to look and feel for on each body region during a trauma assessment.

  • Deformities
  • Contusions
  • Abrasions
  • Punctures / penetrations
  • Burns
  • Tenderness
  • Lacerations
  • Swelling

  On the exam: A recall item, and a sequencing item in trauma content alongside ABCDE and SAMPLE.

• DIAPPERS Delirium, Infection, Atrophic vaginitis, Pharmaceuticals, Psychological, Excess urine output, Restricted mobility, Stool impaction

  A memory aid listing reversible contributors considered when new incontinence is being assessed, particularly in older adults.

  On the exam: A recall item in gerontology content. The point of the mnemonic is that the list is of *reversible* contributors.

• FAST Face, Arms, Speech, Time

  The public-facing checklist for recognizing signs of a stroke. An extended version, BE-FAST, adds Balance and Eyes at the front.

  • Face — drooping on one side.
  • Arms — one arm drifting downward when both are raised.
  • Speech — slurred or difficult speech.
  • Time — note the time signs began, because treatment decisions depend on it.

  On the exam: The T is the tested letter. Items are written so that three options describe a physical sign and one describes noting the time, and the time is what the mnemonic is really for.

• Five Ps Pain, Pallor, Pulselessness, Paresthesia, Paralysis

  The five findings named in a neurovascular assessment of a limb. A sixth P, poikilothermia — the limb taking on the temperature of its surroundings — is added in some versions.

  • Pain.
  • Pallor — loss of color.
  • Pulselessness — absent or diminished pulse below the site.
  • Paresthesia — abnormal sensation, such as pins and needles.
  • Paralysis — loss of movement.

  On the exam: Asked as a recall item, usually after a scenario involving a cast or a fracture. Paresthesia and paralysis are the two most often confused, and the order runs from earliest to latest.

• GCS Glasgow Coma Scale

  A neurological scale scoring eye opening, verbal response and motor response. The three subscores add to a total between 3 and 15 — three is the floor, not zero, because each component starts at one.

  On the exam: The most common item is the range. A total of 3 is the lowest possible score, and answering 0 is the mistake the item is built to catch.

• IADL instrumental activities of daily living

  The tasks of running a life rather than a body: shopping, cooking, managing money and medications, using a phone, transport. Contrast with basic ADLs — bathing, dressing, eating, toileting, transferring.

  On the exam: The item gives a list of tasks and asks which are IADLs versus ADLs, or asks which set a home-care assessment covers.

• PERRLA Pupils Equal, Round, Reactive to Light and Accommodation

  The shorthand written in a chart when a pupil examination is normal in every respect. It is one of the most common abbreviations in a neurological note.

  • Equal — the same size as each other.
  • Round — regular in shape.
  • Reactive to Light — constricting when light is shone in.
  • Accommodation — adjusting for near and far focus.

  On the exam: The A is the letter most often missed, because accommodation is the only part that requires the patient to do something rather than the examiner.

• Rule of nines body surface area estimated in multiples of 9%

  A quick way to estimate the percentage of body surface burned in an adult: head 9, each arm 9, each leg 18, front of trunk 18, back of trunk 18, genitals 1.

  • Head and neck — 9%
  • Each arm — 9%
  • Front of trunk — 18%
  • Back of trunk — 18%
  • Each leg — 18%
  • Genital area — 1%

  On the exam: A calculation item: a burn distribution is described and the percentage is asked. Children use different proportions, which is a common trap.

• Six Ps Pain, Pallor, Paresthesia, Pulselessness, Paralysis, Poikilothermia

  The signs of compromised circulation in a limb, taught for compartment syndrome and for checks after casting or vascular procedures. Not the same list as the Five Ps of labour.

  • Pain — often out of proportion and worse with passive stretch.
  • Pallor — pale colour.
  • Paresthesia — pins and needles, altered sensation.
  • Pulselessness — a late sign.
  • Paralysis — a late sign.
  • Poikilothermia — the limb takes the temperature of its surroundings.

  On the exam: Tested as the assessment set for a cast or an injured limb, and as which signs are early versus late. The Five Ps (labour) is the deliberate distractor.

• SPICES Sleep, Problems eating, Incontinence, Confusion, Evidence of falls, Skin breakdown

  A screening framework for the common problems of hospitalised older adults.

  • Sleep disorders
  • Problems with eating or feeding
  • Incontinence
  • Confusion
  • Evidence of falls
  • Skin breakdown

  On the exam: Tested as a recall item in gerontology content, and as which assessment tools (Braden, Morse, CAM) map to its letters.

• SPLATT Symptoms at the time, Previous falls, Location, Activity, Time, Trauma after the fall

  The structure used when a fall is being described after the fact, so the account captures the circumstances and not only the injury.

  • Symptoms at the time of the fall.
  • Previous falls.
  • Location of the fall.
  • Activity at the time.
  • Time of day.
  • Trauma sustained.

  On the exam: A recall item in safety and gerontology content.

Nursing process

• ADOPIE Assessment, Diagnosis, Outcomes identification, Planning, Implementation, Evaluation

  A six-step version of the nursing process that separates identifying outcomes from planning how to reach them. Which version a student learns depends on the program.

  • Assessment.
  • Diagnosis.
  • Outcomes identification.
  • Planning.
  • Implementation.
  • Evaluation.

  On the exam: If both appear in one exam set, the O is the discriminator — it is the step ADPIE folds into planning.

• ADPIE Assessment, Diagnosis, Planning, Implementation, Evaluation

  The five steps of the nursing process, and the framework that organizes most of what a nursing program teaches after the first semester.

  • Assessment — gather data.
  • Diagnosis — state the problem in nursing terms.
  • Planning — set goals and choose interventions.
  • Implementation — carry them out.
  • Evaluation — did it work?

  On the exam: Ordering items are the norm, and the reliable rule is that assessment comes before action. When an option offers to do something and another offers to check something, the check almost always wins.

Communication and documentation

• DAR Data, Action, Response

  The note structure used in focus charting: each entry names a focus, then records the data, the action taken and the patient’s response.

  • Data — subjective and objective information about the focus.
  • Action — the nursing intervention.
  • Response — how the patient responded.

  On the exam: Tested against SOAP and PIE as one of the named charting formats; the discriminator is the word "focus".

• ISBAR Identify, Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation

  SBAR with an explicit identification step at the front — who you are, who the patient is, and confirming you have the right one before anything else is said.

  • Identify — yourself, your unit, and the patient.
  • Situation.
  • Background.
  • Assessment.
  • Recommendation.

  On the exam: Where a program teaches ISBAR rather than SBAR, the I is the whole point of the item.

• PIE Problem, Intervention, Evaluation

  A charting format that organizes a note around a numbered problem rather than around the source of the information.

  • Problem — the identified nursing problem.
  • Intervention — what was done about it.
  • Evaluation — the response.

  On the exam: Usually appears in a set comparing charting formats, where the answer turns on which one is problem-oriented.

• SBAR Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation

  The standard structure for handing information to another clinician, designed so an urgent call has the same shape every time and nothing important is left to the end.

  • Situation — who the patient is and what is happening right now.
  • Background — the context that makes the situation make sense.
  • Assessment — what you think is going on.
  • Recommendation — what you are asking for.

  On the exam: The R is the tested letter. A report that stops after the assessment is the most common wrong answer, because ending with a recommendation feels presumptuous and is exactly what the tool is for.

• SOAP Subjective, Objective, Assessment, Plan

  A note format that keeps what the patient reports separate from what the clinician observed, before any interpretation is written down.

  • Subjective — what the patient reports, in their words.
  • Objective — measurable findings and observations.
  • Assessment — what those add up to.
  • Plan — what happens next.

  On the exam: The tested distinction is S against O. A pain rating of 7/10 is subjective, because it is reported; a blood pressure reading is objective, because it is measured.

• SOAPIE Subjective, Objective, Assessment, Plan, Implementation, Evaluation

  SOAP extended so the note records not only the plan but what was actually done and whether it worked. A further variant, SOAPIER, adds Revision at the end.

  • Subjective.
  • Objective.
  • Assessment.
  • Plan.
  • Implementation — what was carried out.
  • Evaluation — the patient’s response.

  On the exam: The E is the point: a note that stops at the plan has not recorded an outcome.

History taking

• COLDSPA Character, Onset, Location, Duration, Severity, Pattern, Associated factors

  A symptom-analysis structure taught in health assessment courses. Its distinctive slot is the last one: what else is happening alongside the main symptom.

  • Character — how the symptom is described.
  • Onset — when it began.
  • Location — where it is.
  • Duration — how long it lasts.
  • Severity — how intense it is.
  • Pattern — what makes it better or worse.
  • Associated factors — what accompanies it.

  On the exam: Items usually test the A, since "associated symptoms" is the part a beginner leaves out of a description.

• HEADSS Home, Education/Employment, Activities, Drugs, Sexuality, Suicide/depression

  A framework for taking a psychosocial history from an adolescent, ordered from the least to the most sensitive topics.

  • Home
  • Education and employment
  • Activities
  • Drugs
  • Sexuality
  • Suicide and depression

  On the exam: Tested as a recall item and as a communication item — the ordering from safe topics to sensitive ones is the point.

• OLD CARTS Onset, Location, Duration, Characteristics, Aggravating factors, Relieving factors, Treatment, Severity

  A longer alternative to OPQRST covering the same ground plus what the patient has already tried. Programs tend to teach one or the other, so students often meet both.

  • Onset.
  • Location.
  • Duration.
  • Characteristics.
  • Aggravating factors.
  • Relieving factors.
  • Treatment already tried.
  • Severity.

  On the exam: The T is what separates this from OPQRST — it captures self-treatment before presentation, which the shorter mnemonic has no slot for.

• OPQRST Onset, Provocation, Quality, Region, Severity, Time

  A six-part structure for describing pain or any symptom, so that a description is complete rather than impressionistic.

  • Onset — when it started and what was happening then.
  • Provocation or palliation — what makes it worse or better.
  • Quality — how it is described: sharp, dull, burning, cramping.
  • Region and radiation — where it is and where it travels.
  • Severity — a rating, usually on a 0–10 scale.
  • Time — how long it lasts and whether it comes and goes.

  On the exam: Usually a matching item. The distinction worth holding is Quality (what it feels like) against Severity (how much of it there is) — those two are the pair most often swapped.

• SAMPLE Signs and symptoms, Allergies, Medications, Past medical history, Last oral intake, Events leading up

  A structured way to take a rapid history, widely taught in emergency and prehospital settings and carried into nursing assessment.

  • Signs and symptoms — what is observed and what is reported.
  • Allergies.
  • Medications currently taken.
  • Past medical history.
  • Last oral intake — what and when.
  • Events leading up to the presentation.

  On the exam: The L is the letter people forget, and it is the one with a practical consequence, so it is the one most often asked.

• WILDA Words, Intensity, Location, Duration, Aggravating and alleviating factors

  A compact pain-assessment structure. Shorter than OPQRST and built around the patient’s own words for the pain.

  • Words — the patient’s own description.
  • Intensity — a rating.
  • Location.
  • Duration.
  • Aggravating and alleviating factors.

  On the exam: The W is the point of the mnemonic: the patient’s wording, not the assessor’s summary of it.

Medication safety

• Five Rights Right patient, Right drug, Right dose, Right route, Right time

  The five checks named before a medication is given. Extended lists add right documentation, right reason, right response and the patient’s right to refuse.

  • Right patient — two identifiers, not the room number.
  • Right drug.
  • Right dose.
  • Right route.
  • Right time.

  On the exam: The most common item is about the first right: identifying by room or bed number is always the wrong answer, and two patient identifiers is always the right one.

• MS / MSO₄ / MgSO₄ morphine sulfate / magnesium sulfate — written out in fullsee warning

  Two very different drugs whose old abbreviations look alike. Both must be spelled out on orders.

  On the exam: Among the most tested items on the Do Not Use list: given an order written as "MSO₄", what is the correct action — clarify, and expect the drug name written in full.

  On The Joint Commission’s Official "Do Not Use" List: MS, MSO₄, and MgSO₄ can be confused for one another. The required notation is "morphine sulfate" or "magnesium sulfate", written out.

• Three Checks Check when taking it out, when preparing it, and before giving it

  The label is verified three separate times against the order. It runs alongside the Five Rights rather than replacing them: the rights are what you check, the three checks are when.

  • When removing the medication from storage.
  • When preparing or drawing it up.
  • At the bedside, before administration.

  On the exam: Items pair this with the Five Rights and ask which is which. Rights = what. Checks = when.

Routes of administration

• Buccal between the cheek and the gum

  A dose placed against the inside of the cheek to dissolve rather than swallowed.

  On the exam: Usually offered as the near-miss option in a sublingual item.

• GT / G-tube gastrostomy tube

  A feeding tube placed through the abdominal wall directly into the stomach. A PEG is one way of placing one.

  On the exam: Matched against NGT (through the nose, short-term) and PEG (the placement method). Items ask which route is long-term and which bypasses the nose.

• ID intradermal

  Into the dermis, the layer within the skin itself — the shallowest of the injection routes, which is why it raises a small bleb.

  On the exam: The shallow-to-deep order is what gets tested: intradermal, subcutaneous, intramuscular, intravenous.

• IM intramuscular

  Into muscle tissue, which is more vascular than the layer above it.

  On the exam: Tested against subcutaneous. The two differ in depth, in needle angle and in how quickly absorption happens, and an item usually turns on one of those three.

• IN intranasal

  Given into the nose — as a spray or a mist absorbed through the nasal lining.

  On the exam: Appears in route-matching items with SL, Top, and Neb. It is not the same as NC, which is a nasal cannula for oxygen.

• INH inhalation

  Breathed in, by inhaler or nebulizer.

  On the exam: Watch for the collision: INH as a route means inhalation, but INH is also an abbreviation for the drug isoniazid, which is one reason spelled-out routes are preferred.

• IO intraosseous

  Into the marrow cavity of a bone, used as an access route when a vein cannot be obtained quickly.

  On the exam: A recognition item; it usually appears alongside IV in emergency content.

• IV intravenous

  Into a vein, whether by a short catheter, an infusion, or a central line.

  On the exam: Usually appears in a set with IM, subcutaneous and intradermal, ordered by how fast the route works. IV is the fastest of the four.

• IVP intravenous push

  A dose given directly into the IV line over a short time, by syringe. Also the abbreviation for an intravenous pyelogram, a kidney X-ray — context tells them apart.

  On the exam: Distinguished from IVPB (a secondary bag infused over a longer period) and from a continuous infusion. Items describe the delivery and ask which term fits.

• IVPB intravenous piggyback

  A small secondary bag connected to the main IV line and infused intermittently — the usual way intermittent IV antibiotics are given.

  On the exam: The tell in a question is "secondary" or "intermittent". Hung higher than the primary bag is the setup detail most often asked.

• MDI metered-dose inhaler

  A handheld inhaler that delivers a measured dose with each actuation.

  On the exam: A recognition item, often alongside nebulizer.

• Neb nebulizer

  A device that turns liquid medication into a mist to be inhaled.

  On the exam: A recognition item in respiratory content.

• NPO nil per os — nothing by mouth

  Nothing to be taken orally, including food, drink and in most cases oral medication. Commonly ordered before a procedure.

  On the exam: Asked as a straight expansion, and as the contrast with PO. Note that it covers fluids and not only food, which is the detail items are built around.

• OD / OS / OU right eye / left eye / both eyes (oculus dexter, oculus sinister, oculus uterque)

  Latin eye abbreviations still seen on older orders and in optometry. They are easily confused with each other and with "OD" meaning once daily, so many facilities require the words to be written out.

  On the exam: Tested as a recognition item and as a safety item: the point is that a lookalike abbreviation is a known error source and that spelling it out is the safer notation.

• PO per os — by mouth

  Taken orally and swallowed.

  On the exam: The classic pairing item is PO against NPO. One letter changes the meaning to its opposite, and exams exploit that.

• PR per rectum

  Administered rectally.

  On the exam: A recognition item. Watch the context: PR in a set of routes is per rectum, but the same two letters elsewhere can be a pulse rate.

• PV per vagina

  Administered vaginally.

  On the exam: A recognition item, usually alongside PR.

• SL sublingual

  Placed under the tongue to dissolve. A related notation, buccal, means placed between the cheek and the gum.

  On the exam: Tested against PO. The distinction is that a sublingual dose is not swallowed, which is the whole point of the route.

• SubQ subcutaneous

  Into the fatty layer below the skin and above the muscle. Written subQ or subcut; the older SC and SQ forms are discouraged because they have been misread.

  On the exam: Appears in ordering items by absorption speed, and in "which abbreviation is preferred" items, where subcut or the spelled-out word beats SQ.

• TD transdermal

  Delivered through the skin into the bloodstream, typically by a patch, so the effect is systemic rather than local.

  On the exam: Tested against topical: topical acts where it is applied, transdermal acts everywhere.

• Top topical

  Applied to the surface of the skin or a mucous membrane.

  On the exam: A recognition item; transdermal, meaning absorbed through the skin into the blood, is the near neighbor.

Activity and mobility orders

• AAROM active-assistive range of motion

  Joint movement the patient starts and a helper or device completes. Between active range of motion (patient alone) and passive (done entirely for the patient).

  On the exam: The three ROM types are tested as a set. The question describes who is doing the moving and asks which term fits.

• BRP bathroom privileges

  Bed rest with one exception: the patient may get up to use the bathroom. Everything else happens in bed.

  On the exam: Asked as the difference between strict bed rest and bed rest with BRP, or as which order in a list is the most restrictive that still allows walking to the toilet.

• HOB head of bed

  The angle the head of the bed is raised to, documented in degrees — "HOB 30°" — because several orders and precautions are written as a bed angle.

  On the exam: The abbreviation appears inside positioning items: a scenario describes a tube feeding, a ventilator, or raised intracranial pressure, and the answer choices are bed angles.

• NWB non-weight bearing

  No weight at all through the affected limb — the foot does not touch the floor. The most restrictive weight-bearing order.

  On the exam: Distinguished from touch-down weight bearing, where the toes may rest on the floor for balance. An item that says "foot may rest on the floor but carry no weight" is describing TDWB, not NWB.

• OOB out of bed

  An activity order: the patient may be up out of bed, usually written with a limit such as "OOB to chair" or "OOB with assist".

  On the exam: Activity orders are tested as a ladder — bed rest, then bathroom privileges, then out of bed, then ambulate. Items ask what a given order permits, and the distractors are the neighbouring rungs.

• PROM (range of motion) passive range of motion

  Joint movement performed entirely by someone else, with no effort from the patient. The same three letters mean "premature rupture of membranes" on a maternity unit.

  On the exam: Tested against AROM and AAROM, and occasionally as a context item: PROM on an orthopedic chart and PROM on a labor chart are different abbreviations.

• PWB partial weight bearing

  A limited share of body weight through the limb, often written as a percentage — "PWB 50%".

  On the exam: Appears in ordering items alongside NWB and WBAT, and in equipment items: a partial-weight-bearing patient is the classic crutch-gait scenario.

• TDWB touch-down weight bearing (also toe-touch weight bearing, TTWB)

  The foot may touch the floor for balance only; it carries essentially no weight. Sits between non-weight bearing and partial weight bearing.

  On the exam: The confusable pair is TDWB versus NWB. The tell in a question is whether the foot is allowed to touch the ground at all.

• WBAT weight bearing as tolerated

  An orthopedic order: the patient may put as much weight through the limb as comfort allows. The least restrictive of the weight-bearing orders.

  On the exam: The four weight-bearing orders — NWB, TDWB, PWB, WBAT — are tested as a set, usually by asking which order allows the most or the least load, or which one matches a walker versus crutches scenario.

Frequency and timing

• ac ante cibum — before meals

  Taken before eating.

  On the exam: The ac/pc pair is a standard matching item, and the Latin is the memory hook: ante is before, post is after.

• BID bis in die — twice a day

  Two doses in a 24-hour period, at times the facility schedules.

  On the exam: The BID/TID/QID family is a standard matching set. Reading them as the Latin numbers — bis, ter, quater — makes them stick better than memorizing four pairs.

• NOW a single dose, promptly

  A one-time order to be given promptly but without the immediacy of STAT — commonly understood as within a defined window rather than at once.

  On the exam: Tested as the step between STAT and a routine one-time order.

• pc post cibum — after meals

  Taken after eating.

  On the exam: Matched against ac.

• PRN pro re nata — as needed

  Given when a stated condition is met rather than on a schedule. A PRN order names the indication as well as the dose.

  On the exam: The tested contrast is PRN against a scheduled order. A PRN order without a stated indication is the incomplete option.

• q12h every 12 hours

  Every twelve hours — two doses a day at fixed times. The evenly spaced counterpart of BID.

  On the exam: Tested against BID exactly as q6h is tested against QID: same number of doses, different spacing.

• q2h every 2 hours

  A timing instruction — every two hours around the clock. The frequency most associated with repositioning and with close monitoring.

  On the exam: Frequency items ask how many times a q2h task happens in a shift, or pair q2h with a scenario where two-hourly is the expected interval.

• q4h every 4 hours

  A dose every four hours around the clock. The same pattern gives q6h, q8h and q12h.

  On the exam: Arithmetic items are common: q4h over 24 hours is six doses, not four. Confusing it with QID is the error the item is built on.

• q6h every 6 hours

  Every six hours, around the clock — four doses a day at fixed intervals. Not the same as QID, which means four times during waking hours.

  On the exam: The classic pairing item: q6h versus QID. Both are four a day; only q6h spaces them evenly through the night.

• q8h every 8 hours

  Three doses in 24 hours, spaced evenly around the clock.

  On the exam: Tested against TID. Both give three doses, but q8h holds the spacing overnight and TID follows the facility’s daytime schedule.

• qAM every morning

  Once daily in the morning. The evening counterpart is qPM.

  On the exam: A recognition item.

• QD quaque die — every daysee warning

  Once daily. Recognize it; do not write it.

  On the exam: Exams ask this one as a safety item rather than a vocabulary item: which of these abbreviations should not be used?

  On The Joint Commission's Official "Do Not Use" List. QD has been misread as QID, and the period in Q.D. has been misread as an I. Write "daily".

• qHS hora somni — at bedtime

  Once nightly, at bedtime.

  On the exam: A recognition item. Note that HS alone has been misread as "half strength", which is why the spelled-out form is preferred.

• QID quater in die — four times a day

  Four doses in a 24-hour period.

  On the exam: The one to separate from q4h. QID is four scheduled doses in the waking day; q4h is every four hours around the clock, which is six.

• QOD quaque altera die — every other daysee warning

  Every second day. Recognize it; do not write it.

  On the exam: Asked alongside QD as a "which of these is prohibited" item.

  On The Joint Commission's Official "Do Not Use" List. QOD has been misread as QD, and vice versa. Write "every other day".

• STAT statim — immediately

  To be carried out at once, ahead of scheduled work.

  On the exam: Prioritization items use STAT as the sorting signal. It is one of the few order terms that changes what you do first.

• TID ter in die — three times a day

  Three doses in a 24-hour period.

  On the exam: Part of the BID/TID/QID matching set.

Units and measures

• bpm beats per minute (also breaths per minute)

  The unit for heart rate and, in some charts, for respiratory rate — which is why the two are usually written as HR and RR to avoid ambiguity.

  On the exam: Tested indirectly: normal adult ranges for HR and RR in bpm are among the most reliably examined numbers.

• cc cubic centimetersee warning

  A volume equal to one milliliter. Recognize it in older records; the current preference is mL.

  On the exam: A boundary item, and the boundary is the point: cc is widely discouraged but is NOT a row on The Joint Commission's Official "Do Not Use" List. A question asking which of several notations is on that list is testing whether you know the difference between "error-prone" and "on the list".

  Error-prone, but not on the Official "Do Not Use" List. Handwritten cc has been misread as the letter u and from there as a unit, which is why mL is preferred and why cc is named on ISMP's error-prone abbreviation list — a different document from the Joint Commission one.

• g gram

  The base metric unit of mass used for medication doses.

  On the exam: Appears in every conversion chain on the math sections.

• gtt gutta — drop

  A drop. Appears in IV drip-rate work as gtt/min and in the drop factor of tubing, gtt/mL.

  On the exam: Entrance exams stop at the expansion; drip-rate calculation comes in the nursing program itself.

• kg kilogram

  One thousand grams. Body weight is recorded in kilograms in clinical settings, using 1 kg ≈ 2.2 lb.

  On the exam: Pounds-to-kilograms conversion is one of the most reliably tested calculations on both exams. Dividing by 2.2 must make the number smaller.

• L liter

  The base metric unit of volume. 1 L = 1,000 mL.

  On the exam: A decimal-move conversion item.

• lb pound

  The customary US unit of weight. 1 kg = 2.2 lb.

  On the exam: Always paired with kg in a conversion item.

• mcg microgramsee warning

  One millionth of a gram, and one thousandth of a milligram. 1 mg = 1,000 mcg.

  On the exam: Two-step conversions are the usual item: grams to milligrams to micrograms, three decimal places each time.

  The symbol form μg is discouraged in handwriting because it has been misread as mg — a thousandfold error. Write mcg.

• mEq milliequivalent

  A unit of measure for electrolytes, expressing chemical combining capacity rather than mass.

  On the exam: Recognition only at entrance level; the point is that it is not interchangeable with milligrams.

• mg milligram

  One thousandth of a gram. 1 g = 1,000 mg.

  On the exam: Conversion items are constant on both entrance exams. Milligram to gram is a three-place decimal move.

• mL milliliter

  One thousandth of a liter, and the standard unit for liquid doses.

  On the exam: The household equivalents are the tested part: 1 tsp = 5 mL, 1 tbsp = 15 mL, 1 fl oz = 30 mL.

• mL/hr millilitres per hour

  The unit an infusion pump is programmed in. A drip rate counted by hand is in drops per minute (gtt/min) instead.

  On the exam: Dosage-calculation items give a volume and a time and ask for mL/hr, or give mL/hr and a drop factor and ask for gtt/min. The unit tells you which formula the question wants.

• mmHg millimetres of mercury

  The unit for blood pressure and for many other pressures — intracranial, arterial blood gases, central venous.

  On the exam: Appears as the unit in any blood pressure item; occasionally tested directly as "which measurement is expressed in mmHg".

• oz ounce

  A fluid ounce is about 30 mL, and 8 fluid ounces make a standard cup, about 240 mL.

  On the exam: Intake-and-output items convert ounces to milliliters, so the 30 mL figure carries a lot of weight.

• tbsp tablespoon

  A household measure equal to 3 teaspoons, or about 15 mL.

  On the exam: Paired with tsp and mL in conversion chains.

• tsp teaspoon

  A household measure equal to about 5 mL. Three teaspoons make one tablespoon.

  On the exam: A constant on the HESI math component. Learn tsp → mL and tsp → tbsp together, since items often chain them.

Documentation shorthand

• AD advance directive

  A document recording a person’s wishes about future care, and often naming someone to speak for them.

  On the exam: Tested against DNR: a directive is the patient’s statement of wishes, a DNR is a clinician’s order written to carry one out.

• ADL activities of daily living

  The basic self-care tasks — bathing, dressing, toileting, transferring, continence, feeding. IADLs are the instrumental ones, such as managing money or medications.

  On the exam: The ADL/IADL distinction is a standard item: cooking and paying bills are instrumental, bathing is basic.

• AMA against medical advice

  A discharge or departure the patient chooses despite a recommendation to stay. Documented as such, with the conversation that preceded it.

  On the exam: Appears in documentation and legal-concept items: what an AMA note should contain, and the distinction between a competent adult’s right to refuse and an unsafe discharge.

• Amb ambulatory / ambulate

  Able to walk, or the act of walking.

  On the exam: Recognition; it shares a root with "ambulance".

• c/o complains of

  Introduces what the patient reports, in a note.

  On the exam: A recognition item; it maps onto the S in SOAP.

• DNI do not intubate

  An order that a breathing tube is not to be placed. It can exist with or without a DNR.

  On the exam: Paired with DNR to test that the two are separate decisions.

• DNR do not resuscitate

  An order that CPR is not to be attempted if the heart or breathing stops. It is an order about one specific intervention.

  On the exam: The tested misconception is scope: a DNR order addresses resuscitation, and does not by itself withdraw other care.

• Do Not Use list The Joint Commission’s Official "Do Not Use" List of Abbreviationssee warning

  A short list of abbreviations that must not appear in orders or medication-related documentation, because each has been misread in ways that caused harm. It includes U and u for unit, IU, QD and QOD, trailing zeros (write 1 mg, not 1.0 mg), missing leading zeros (write 0.5 mg, not .5 mg), and MS, MSO4 and MgSO4.

  On the exam: Asked as "which of these should not be used" — and the trailing-zero and leading-zero rules are the two most often missed, because they are typography rather than vocabulary.

  Source: The Joint Commission, Official "Do Not Use" List of Abbreviations. The list is maintained and can change; confirm the current version at jointcommission.org before relying on this entry for anything beyond study.

• Dx diagnosis

  The identified condition.

  On the exam: The set item is Dx against prognosis: diagnosis is what it is, prognosis is where it is going.

• EHR electronic health record

  The digital record. EMR is the older term for a single organization’s record; EHR implies a record that follows the patient across organizations.

  On the exam: The EHR/EMR distinction is the item, and it turns on portability.

• Fx fracture

  A broken bone, in chart shorthand — "R hip Fx". Follows the same pattern as Dx, Tx, Hx, Sx.

  On the exam: Tested in the "x" family: Dx, Tx, Hx, Sx, Rx, Fx. Items ask which one means which.

• HIPAA Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act

  The U.S. federal law whose privacy and security rules govern how identifiable health information may be used and disclosed.

  On the exam: Two things get tested: the spelling — two As, one P — and the scope, which is broader than "do not gossip about patients".

• Hx history

  The patient’s history. PMH is past medical history and FHx is family history.

  On the exam: Part of the shorthand matching set.

• I&O intake and output

  The record of fluid taken in and put out over a period, usually in milliliters over 24 hours.

  On the exam: Arithmetic items convert household volumes to milliliters and total them — which is why the 30 mL ounce is worth knowing cold.

• IU international unitsee warning

  Recognize it; write "international unit".

  On the exam: A "which is prohibited" item, usually alongside U.

  On The Joint Commission's Official "Do Not Use" List. IU has been misread as IV and as the number 10.

• MAR medication administration record

  The record of what was given, when, by whom, and what was withheld and why.

  On the exam: A recognition item, usually alongside EHR and the Five Rights.

• NAD no acute distress

  A general-appearance note. In other contexts the same letters mean no apparent distress.

  On the exam: A recognition item.

• NKA no known allergies

  No allergies of any kind on record.

  On the exam: Tested against NKDA, which is narrower — drug allergies only. Reading NKDA as covering food or latex is the error.

• NKDA no known drug allergies

  No drug allergies on record. It says nothing about food, latex or environmental allergies.

  On the exam: The scope difference from NKA is the whole item.

• PMH past medical history

  Conditions and treatments before the current presentation.

  On the exam: A recognition item; the P in SAMPLE covers the same ground.

• POA power of attorney

  Legal authority for one person to act for another. A healthcare POA covers medical decisions specifically.

  On the exam: A recognition item alongside advance directives.

• R/O rule out

  Names a possibility being investigated and not yet excluded.

  On the exam: Tested against Dx: "R/O pneumonia" is a question, not an answer, and reading it as a diagnosis is the error.

• ROM range of motion

  How far a joint moves. Active ROM is performed by the patient; passive ROM is performed for them.

  On the exam: The active/passive distinction is the item.

• Rx prescription or treatment

  The prescribed therapy. The symbol comes from the Latin recipe, meaning "take".

  On the exam: Matched against Dx, Tx, Hx and Sx in a single set.

• s/p status post

  After a stated event or procedure — for example, s/p appendectomy.

  On the exam: A recognition item.

• Sx symptoms

  What the patient reports. Some records use Sx for surgery instead, which is why context matters more here than anywhere else in the set.

  On the exam: The distinction worth holding is symptom against sign: a symptom is reported, a sign is observed.

• Tx treatment

  The care being given. In some records Tx is also used for transfer or transplant, so context decides.

  On the exam: Part of the Rx/Dx/Tx/Hx/Sx matching set.

• U unitsee warning

  Recognize it in older records; write the word "unit".

  On the exam: A "which is prohibited" item.

  On The Joint Commission's Official "Do Not Use" List. Handwritten U has been read as a zero, as a four, and as cc — each one a dosing error. Write "unit".

• WNL within normal limits

  The finding falls inside the expected range.

  On the exam: A recognition item, sometimes paired with the criticism that WNL records a conclusion where a number would record a fact.

Vital signs and measures

• BMI body mass index

  Weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared — a ratio, not a measurement of body composition.

  On the exam: Math items give weight in pounds and height in inches and expect the conversion first. That conversion is the actual test.

• BP blood pressure

  Recorded as systolic over diastolic in millimeters of mercury. Systolic is the pressure during contraction; diastolic is the pressure between beats.

  On the exam: The reliable item is which number is which: the top number is systolic, and it is the larger of the two.

• CRT capillary refill time

  How long color takes to return after pressure is released from a nail bed — a bedside indicator of peripheral perfusion.

  On the exam: Recognition; it belongs to the circulation letter of ABC.

• CVP central venous pressure

  Pressure in the large veins near the heart, measured through a central line. Read as a rough guide to fluid status.

  On the exam: Tested as what a central line can measure that a peripheral line cannot, and in fluid-balance items as the value that trends with volume.

• EtCO₂ end-tidal carbon dioxide

  The CO₂ concentration at the end of an exhaled breath, measured by capnography. Used to confirm an airway is in the trachea and to track ventilation.

  On the exam: Appears in airway and resuscitation items as the measurement that confirms tube placement, and in sedation items as the earliest sign of under-breathing.

• HR heart rate

  Beats per minute. Typical adult resting range is about 60–100; below that is described as bradycardia and above it as tachycardia.

  On the exam: The prefixes are the item, and they generalize: brady- is slow and tachy- is fast, in front of any rate.

• LOC level of consciousness

  How awake and responsive a person is, described with AVPU or scored with the Glasgow Coma Scale.

  On the exam: Recognition, and the link to the two scales that measure it.

• MAP mean arterial pressure

  An average arterial pressure across the cardiac cycle, weighted toward diastole because the heart spends more of each cycle relaxed than contracting.

  On the exam: At entrance level, the expansion only; the calculation belongs to later coursework.

• RR respiratory rate

  Breaths per minute. Typical adult resting range is about 12–20.

  On the exam: Paired with the -pnea words: apnea is absent breathing, dyspnea difficult, tachypnea fast.

• SpO₂ peripheral capillary oxygen saturation

  The percentage of hemoglobin carrying oxygen, estimated non-invasively by a pulse oximeter. SaO₂ is the same quantity measured directly from arterial blood.

  On the exam: The tested distinction is estimate against measurement: SpO₂ is the oximeter, SaO₂ is the blood gas.

• VS vital signs

  The core set: temperature, pulse, respirations and blood pressure. Oxygen saturation and a pain rating are commonly recorded alongside them.

  On the exam: The classic four are what an entrance exam expects, with pain often called "the fifth vital sign".

Assessment scales

• Bishop score Bishop score of cervical readiness

  A score describing how ready the cervix is for labour — dilation, effacement, station, consistency, position. Higher scores are associated with successful induction.

  On the exam: Appears in labour items as the assessment that precedes an induction decision, and as what its five components are.

• Braden Scale Braden Scale for predicting pressure sore risk

  A six-category risk score — sensory perception, moisture, activity, mobility, nutrition, friction/shear. A lower total means higher risk of a pressure injury.

  On the exam: The direction of the scale is the exam point: low score, high risk. Items also ask which categories it contains and which patient in a list scores lowest.

• CAM-ICU Confusion Assessment Method for the ICU

  A structured screen for delirium in intensive-care patients, including those who cannot speak. It checks for an acute change, inattention, and altered thinking or consciousness.

  On the exam: The exam point is delirium versus dementia: CAM-ICU screens for the acute, fluctuating one.

• CIWA-Ar Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment for Alcohol, revised

  A symptom-scored scale for alcohol withdrawal — tremor, sweating, nausea, anxiety, agitation, sensory disturbances, headache, orientation.

  On the exam: Tested as what the scale measures and in which setting it is used; COWS is the opioid counterpart and the usual distractor.

• COWS Clinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale

  An observer-scored scale for opioid withdrawal — pulse, sweating, restlessness, pupil size, aches, gut symptoms, tremor, yawning, anxiety, gooseflesh.

  On the exam: Paired with CIWA in items: alcohol versus opioid withdrawal, and which scale belongs to which.

• FACES (Wong-Baker) Wong-Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale

  A row of faces from smiling to crying that a patient points to, used with young children and with adults who cannot manage a number scale.

  On the exam: The item asks which pain scale suits a given patient. FACES is the self-report tool for children who can point; FLACC is the observer tool for those who cannot.

• FLACC Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, Consolability

  A behavioural pain scale scored by an observer, for infants and for anyone who cannot self-report. Each category scores 0–2.

  • Face — expression, from relaxed to constant grimace.
  • Legs — position, from normal to kicking or drawn up.
  • Activity — lying quietly versus arched, rigid, or jerking.
  • Cry — none, moaning, or steady crying.
  • Consolability — content, reassurable, or difficult to console.

  On the exam: Tested as the observational counterpart to FACES and the numeric scale: the question describes a patient who cannot answer and asks which tool fits.

• LATCH Latch, Audible swallowing, Type of nipple, Comfort, Hold

  A breastfeeding assessment score, five items scored 0–2, used to document how a feed is going in the first days.

  • Latch — how well the infant attaches.
  • Audible swallowing — whether swallowing can be heard.
  • Type of nipple — everted, flat, or inverted.
  • Comfort — the mother’s breast and nipple comfort.
  • Hold — positioning and whether help is needed.

  On the exam: Tested as what the letters stand for and as the postpartum assessment it belongs to.

• Morse Fall Scale Morse Fall Scale

  A fall-risk score built from history of falls, secondary diagnosis, mobility aid, IV access, gait, and mental status. Higher totals mean higher risk.

  On the exam: Paired with the Braden Scale in items because the two run in opposite directions — Morse high is bad, Braden low is bad.

• NIHSS National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale

  A standardised neurological exam that scores stroke severity — consciousness, gaze, vision, facial and limb movement, sensation, language, attention. Higher means more severe.

  On the exam: Tested as the stroke-severity tool, alongside FAST (recognition) and the GCS (consciousness).

• NRS (0–10) numeric rating scale

  The "rate your pain from 0 to 10" scale. A self-report tool for patients who can use numbers.

  On the exam: Tested as the default adult self-report scale and as the wrong choice for a patient who cannot self-report.

• PAINAD Pain Assessment in Advanced Dementia

  An observer-rated pain scale for adults with advanced dementia who cannot report pain — breathing, vocalisation, facial expression, body language, consolability.

  On the exam: The item names a patient with dementia and asks which pain tool is appropriate; the numeric scale and FACES are the distractors.

• PHQ-9 Patient Health Questionnaire-9

  A nine-question self-report screen for depression severity, one question per diagnostic symptom over the past two weeks.

  On the exam: Appears in screening items — which tool screens for depression — and in mental-health items about the symptoms it asks about.

• RASS Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale

  A scale from +4 (combative) through 0 (alert and calm) to −5 (unarousable), used to describe sedation level in intensive care.

  On the exam: Appears in ICU and sedation items as the tool that documents where a patient sits between agitation and deep sedation.

Labs and diagnostics

• ANC absolute neutrophil count

  The number of neutrophils in the blood, calculated from the white cell count and the differential. A low ANC is neutropenia.

  On the exam: Appears in oncology and infection-precaution items as the value that defines neutropenia.

• BG / Glu blood glucose

  The concentration of glucose in blood. Hypoglycemia is low, hyperglycemia is high.

  On the exam: Recognition, plus the hypo-/hyper- pair again.

• BMP basic metabolic panel

  A chemistry panel covering electrolytes, kidney markers and glucose. The comprehensive version, CMP, adds liver markers and proteins.

  On the exam: The BMP/CMP difference is the item, and the liver studies are what the C adds.

• BNP B-type natriuretic peptide

  A hormone released when the heart is stretched. A high level supports a diagnosis of heart failure.

  On the exam: Tested as the lab that points to heart failure in a breathless patient, against troponin, which points to heart muscle injury.

• BUN blood urea nitrogen

  A nitrogenous waste product filtered by the kidneys, reported alongside creatinine.

  On the exam: The BUN/creatinine pairing is the item; both are read as kidney markers.

• C&S culture and sensitivity

  Growing an organism from a sample and then testing which agents it responds to — the sensitivity half is why the test takes longer than a culture alone.

  On the exam: Recognition; the two halves answering two different questions is the point.

• Ca²⁺ calcium

  An electrolyte involved in bone, muscle contraction, nerve conduction and clotting.

  On the exam: Recognition, usually in the electrolyte set with sodium, potassium and magnesium.

• CBC complete blood count

  A panel reporting the cellular components of blood: white cells, red cells, hemoglobin, hematocrit and platelets.

  On the exam: Tested against BMP — CBC is the cells, BMP is the chemistry.

• CK-MB creatine kinase, MB isoenzyme

  The heart-specific fraction of creatine kinase. An older marker of heart muscle damage, largely replaced by troponin.

  On the exam: Appears as a distractor or a secondary marker in MI items; the exam point is that troponin is the more specific test.

• CMP comprehensive metabolic panel

  The basic panel plus liver enzymes, bilirubin, albumin and total protein.

  On the exam: Paired with BMP.

• Cr creatinine

  A waste product of muscle metabolism, cleared by the kidneys and used to gauge kidney function.

  On the exam: Paired with BUN and with GFR.

• CRP C-reactive protein

  A protein that rises with inflammation; like the ESR it says that something is inflamed, not what.

  On the exam: Paired with ESR.

• CT computed tomography

  Cross-sectional imaging built from X-rays taken at many angles.

  On the exam: Tested against MRI: CT uses X-rays, MRI uses a magnetic field and radio waves.

• CXR chest X-ray

  A radiograph of the chest.

  On the exam: Recognition, in the imaging set with CT, MRI and US.

• ECG / EKG electrocardiogram

  A recording of the heart’s electrical activity. ECG is the English abbreviation and EKG comes from the German spelling; they mean the same thing.

  On the exam: The two abbreviations being identical is itself the item.

• ESR erythrocyte sedimentation rate

  A non-specific marker of inflammation, sometimes called the sed rate.

  On the exam: Paired with CRP as the two non-specific inflammatory markers.

• GFR glomerular filtration rate

  The rate at which the kidneys filter blood. Usually reported as eGFR, an estimate calculated from creatinine and other factors.

  On the exam: Recognition, and the link to the nephron as the filtering unit.

• HbA1c glycated hemoglobin

  A measure reflecting average blood glucose over roughly the preceding two to three months, because it reflects glucose bound to hemoglobin over a red cell’s lifespan.

  On the exam: The tested idea is the timescale: a single glucose is a moment, A1c is a season.

• HCO₃⁻ bicarbonate

  The metabolic value on an arterial blood gas and a chemistry panel. It moves in the same direction as pH in metabolic problems.

  On the exam: The metabolic half of ABG interpretation: items give pH, PaCO₂, and HCO₃⁻ and ask which system is responsible.

• Hct hematocrit

  The percentage of blood volume made up of red blood cells.

  On the exam: Paired with hemoglobin.

• Hgb / Hb hemoglobin

  The oxygen-carrying protein inside red blood cells, reported in grams per deciliter.

  On the exam: The relationship with hematocrit is the item — hematocrit runs roughly three times the hemoglobin value, which is worth knowing as a sanity check rather than a rule.

• INR international normalized ratio

  A standardized expression of prothrombin time, so a result means the same thing from one laboratory to another.

  On the exam: Grouped with PT and PTT as the clotting studies.

• K⁺ potassium

  The main intracellular electrolyte, with a narrow normal range. Hypokalemia is low, hyperkalemia is high.

  On the exam: Tested against sodium as the intracellular/extracellular pair.

• LDL / HDL low-density lipoprotein / high-density lipoprotein

  The two cholesterol fractions on a lipid panel. LDL is the one associated with plaque; HDL the one associated with clearing it.

  On the exam: Tested as which is "good" and which is "bad", and in teaching items about the lipid panel.

• LFT liver function tests

  A group including AST, ALT, alkaline phosphatase, bilirubin and albumin.

  On the exam: Recognition; the CMP is where these appear on a panel.

• Mg²⁺ magnesium

  An electrolyte involved in enzyme function, muscle and nerve activity.

  On the exam: Watch the abbreviation collision — Mg is the element, mg is the milligram, and MgSO₄ is on the Do Not Use list.

• MRI magnetic resonance imaging

  Imaging that uses a strong magnetic field and radio waves rather than ionizing radiation.

  On the exam: The no-ionizing-radiation point is what separates it from CT in an exam item.

• Na⁺ sodium

  The main extracellular electrolyte, central to fluid balance. Hyponatremia is low and hypernatremia is high.

  On the exam: The prefix pair hypo-/hyper- generalizes across every electrolyte, which is why this one is worth learning first.

• PaO₂ / PaCO₂ partial pressure of oxygen / carbon dioxide in arterial blood

  Two of the values on an arterial blood gas. PaO₂ reflects oxygenation; PaCO₂ reflects ventilation and drives the respiratory side of acid-base balance.

  On the exam: Central to ABG items: PaCO₂ moves opposite to pH in respiratory problems (ROME), and PaO₂ is the value that distinguishes hypoxemia from CO₂ retention.

• Phos / PO₄ phosphorus / phosphate

  An electrolyte that moves inversely with calcium and is retained when the kidneys fail.

  On the exam: Tested as the electrolyte with an inverse relationship to calcium, and as one that rises in chronic kidney disease.

• PLT platelet count

  The cell fragments involved in clotting.

  On the exam: Grouped with the clotting studies PT, PTT and INR.

• PQRST (ECG) the P wave, QRS complex, and T wave of one heartbeat

  The named parts of a normal ECG tracing: the P wave (atrial activity), the QRS complex (ventricular activity), the T wave (ventricular recovery). Not the pain mnemonic, which is OPQRST.

  On the exam: Tested as which wave corresponds to which part of the heartbeat, and as a lookalike against OPQRST.

• PT (lab) prothrombin time

  A clotting study, reported alongside the INR.

  On the exam: Recognition — and note the collision: PT is also physical therapy, and only context separates them.

• PTT / aPTT partial thromboplastin time

  A second clotting study, measuring a different part of the pathway from PT.

  On the exam: Grouped with PT and INR.

• RBC red blood cell count

  The erythrocytes, which carry oxygen bound to hemoglobin.

  On the exam: Paired with WBC and with hemoglobin.

• TG triglycerides

  The fat component of a lipid panel, alongside total cholesterol, LDL, and HDL.

  On the exam: Appears as the lipid panel value most affected by a recent meal — which is why the panel is drawn fasting.

• Trop troponin

  A protein released when heart muscle is damaged. The key laboratory marker of myocardial infarction.

  On the exam: Tested as the MI marker, often paired with BNP (heart failure) and CK-MB (the older cardiac marker).

• TSH thyroid-stimulating hormone

  A pituitary hormone that drives the thyroid — which makes it a good illustration of the feedback loop between the two glands.

  On the exam: Recognition, and its use as the example of a tropic hormone from the anterior pituitary.

• UA urinalysis

  Examination of a urine sample, physically, chemically and under a microscope.

  On the exam: Recognition, usually alongside C&S.

• US ultrasound

  Imaging using high-frequency sound waves.

  On the exam: Recognition in the imaging set.

• WBC white blood cell count

  The leukocytes, the cells of immune defense. A differential breaks the count into neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils and basophils.

  On the exam: The five-part differential is the recall item; "Never Let Monkeys Eat Bananas" is the usual order mnemonic.

Conditions

• AAA abdominal aortic aneurysm

  A widening of the abdominal aorta. Read aloud as "triple A".

  On the exam: A recognition item, and an assessment item about why a pulsating abdominal mass is examined with restraint.

• ACS acute coronary syndrome

  The umbrella term for unstable angina and myocardial infarction — a sudden reduction of blood flow to the heart muscle.

  On the exam: Tested as the term that contains MI rather than a synonym for it, and alongside MONA as the historical treatment mnemonic.

• AFib / AF atrial fibrillation

  An irregular, often rapid heart rhythm from disorganised electrical activity in the atria. On an ECG the rhythm is irregularly irregular with no clear P waves.

  On the exam: Appears in rhythm-recognition items and in items about why it matters — the stroke risk that follows from clots forming in the atria.

• AKI acute kidney injury

  A rapid decline in kidney function, historically called acute renal failure.

  On the exam: Paired with CKD.

• ARDS acute respiratory distress syndrome

  Severe, acute lung injury with impaired gas exchange.

  On the exam: Recognition in the respiratory set.

• BPH benign prostatic hyperplasia

  Non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate, common with age, producing urinary symptoms.

  On the exam: Tested as a definition, with the word "benign" as the exam point — it is not prostate cancer.

• CA (cancer) cancer / carcinoma

  Shorthand for cancer on a chart — "breast CA". The same letters with a charge, Ca²⁺, mean calcium on a lab sheet.

  On the exam: A context item: CA in a diagnosis line and Ca in a chemistry panel are different abbreviations.

• CAD coronary artery disease

  Narrowing of the arteries supplying the heart muscle.

  On the exam: Recognition, usually alongside MI.

• CHF congestive heart failure

  The heart failing to pump effectively enough for the body’s needs, with fluid backing up behind it. Often written simply as HF.

  On the exam: Recognition, and the left-sided/right-sided distinction as a structural fact about where fluid backs up.

• CKD chronic kidney disease

  Long-term reduction in kidney function. ESRD is the end stage; AKI is the sudden, potentially reversible form.

  On the exam: The CKD/AKI distinction is the item: chronic against acute.

• COPD chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

  A group of chronic conditions with persistent airflow limitation.

  On the exam: Recognition, and the obstructive/restrictive distinction as a pair of terms.

• CVA cerebrovascular accident — stroke

  Interrupted blood supply to part of the brain, with resulting tissue injury.

  On the exam: Tested against TIA: the difference is whether the deficit resolves without lasting injury, not how severe it looked.

• DI diabetes insipidus

  A disorder of water balance involving large volumes of dilute urine. It is unrelated to diabetes mellitus despite the shared word.

  On the exam: Tested against SIADH as the opposite water-balance problem, and against DM as the false cousin.

• DKA diabetic ketoacidosis

  A metabolic emergency involving high blood glucose, ketone production and acidosis. HHS is the neighboring emergency without significant ketosis.

  On the exam: The DKA/HHS pairing is the item, and ketones are the discriminator.

• DM diabetes mellitus

  A group of conditions involving elevated blood glucose. Type 1 and type 2 differ in mechanism, not only in age of onset.

  On the exam: Note the near-collision: DM is diabetes mellitus, DI is diabetes insipidus, and they are unrelated conditions.

• DVT deep vein thrombosis

  A clot forming in a deep vein, most often in the leg.

  On the exam: Paired with PE, because the anatomical relationship between the two is the tested fact.

• ESRD end-stage renal disease

  Kidney function reduced to the point that replacement therapy is required.

  On the exam: Recognition, as the endpoint of the CKD scale.

• GERD gastroesophageal reflux disease

  Stomach contents moving back into the esophagus persistently enough to cause problems.

  On the exam: Recognition; the word parts are worth decoding — gastro (stomach), esophageal, reflux (flowing back).

• HA headache

  Cephalalgia is the clinical term.

  On the exam: Recognition, usually as an example of an -algia word.

• HHS hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state

  A hyperglycemic emergency with severe dehydration and without the marked ketosis of DKA.

  On the exam: Paired with DKA.

• HTN hypertension

  Persistently elevated blood pressure.

  On the exam: Recognition; hypotension is the counterpart, and the hypo-/hyper- pair does the work again.

• IBD / IBS inflammatory bowel disease / irritable bowel syndrome

  Two different things with similar letters: IBD (Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis) involves inflammation and tissue damage; IBS is a functional disorder without it.

  On the exam: A classic lookalike pair. Items describe bleeding or inflammation to point at IBD, or symptoms without tissue change to point at IBS.

• ICP intracranial pressure

  Pressure inside the skull, which is a closed and unyielding space.

  On the exam: Recognition; the fixed-volume nature of the skull is the structural fact worth carrying.

• MI myocardial infarction

  Death of heart muscle from interrupted blood supply. Infarction means tissue death from lost perfusion, which is what separates it from ischemia — reduced supply without death.

  On the exam: The ischemia/infarction distinction is the item, and it generalizes to every organ.

• MS (multiple sclerosis) multiple sclerosis

  A chronic condition in which the protective covering of nerves is damaged, producing symptoms that come and go. The same letters were once used for morphine sulfate — which is why they are on the Do Not Use list for medication orders.

  On the exam: Tested as a neurological condition and as the reason the abbreviation is banned on medication orders.

• N/V nausea and vomiting

  Written N/V/D when diarrhea is included.

  On the exam: Recognition; nausea is the sensation and emesis is the act, which is the distinction the exam draws.

• OA osteoarthritis

  Joint disease from cartilage wear. RA, rheumatoid arthritis, is autoimmune and systemic — a different mechanism entirely.

  On the exam: The OA/RA distinction is the item: wear against autoimmune.

• OSA obstructive sleep apnea

  Repeated pauses in breathing during sleep caused by airway collapse. CPAP is the usual therapy.

  On the exam: Tested as the condition CPAP is associated with, and in preoperative-assessment items as a risk factor.

• PAD / PVD peripheral artery disease / peripheral vascular disease

  Narrowed arteries in the limbs, most often the legs. PVD is the broader older term that also covers venous disease.

  On the exam: The exam point is arterial versus venous: pain with walking, cool pale skin, and weak pulses point to arterial disease; swelling and warmth point to venous.

• PD Parkinson’s disease — or peritoneal dialysis

  On a neurology chart, Parkinson’s disease; on a renal chart, peritoneal dialysis. Two unrelated meanings, settled by context.

  On the exam: Tested as a context item and, for each meaning, as a recognition item.

• PE pulmonary embolism

  A clot lodged in the pulmonary circulation, classically originating as a DVT.

  On the exam: Watch the collision: PE is also physical examination, and in pediatric notes it can be something else again. Context decides.

• PNA pneumonia

  Infection of the lung tissue. Chart shorthand; HAP and CAP specify hospital-acquired and community-acquired.

  On the exam: Appears in respiratory items and in infection-prevention items alongside VAP.

• PUD peptic ulcer disease

  Ulcers in the stomach or the first part of the small intestine.

  On the exam: Tested against GERD in symptom-differentiation items, and in items about its most common cause and the medication class linked to it.

• RA rheumatoid arthritis

  An autoimmune inflammatory joint disease, typically symmetric.

  On the exam: Paired with OA. Note the collision — RA is also right atrium and room air.

• SIADH syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone

  Excess antidiuretic hormone, so water is retained. The mirror image of diabetes insipidus.

  On the exam: Paired with DI; naming which one retains water is the item.

• SIRS systemic inflammatory response syndrome

  A body-wide inflammatory response defined by criteria such as temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate, and white cell count. Sepsis is SIRS with a suspected infection.

  On the exam: Tested as the criteria and as the relationship to sepsis. Items ask which values in a set meet the definition.

• SLE systemic lupus erythematosus

  An autoimmune condition that can involve skin, joints, kidneys, and other organs. Read aloud as "lupus".

  On the exam: Appears in autoimmune-condition items, often with RA as the neighbouring diagnosis.

• SOB shortness of breath

  Difficulty breathing as reported by the patient. Dyspnea is the clinical term for the same thing.

  On the exam: Recognition, and the pairing with dyspnea as report against term.

• TBI traumatic brain injury

  Brain injury from an external force.

  On the exam: Recognition, alongside GCS as the scale used to describe severity.

• TIA transient ischemic attack

  A temporary interruption of blood flow to the brain whose deficits resolve. The T is the whole distinction.

  On the exam: Always paired with CVA.

• URI upper respiratory infection

  Infection of the nose, sinuses, pharynx or larynx.

  On the exam: The one-letter difference from UTI is the item, which is why both are here.

• UTI urinary tract infection

  Infection anywhere along the urinary tract.

  On the exam: Recognition; CAUTI is the catheter-associated form and is counted separately.

Infection prevention

• C. diff Clostridioides difficile

  A spore-forming organism associated with healthcare settings. The spores are the reason it is handled differently from other precautions.

  On the exam: The spore fact is what distinguishes it in a precautions item.

• CAUTI catheter-associated urinary tract infection

  A urinary tract infection associated with an indwelling urinary catheter.

  On the exam: Recognition, and unpacking the compound abbreviation letter by letter.

• CLABSI central line-associated bloodstream infection

  A bloodstream infection associated with a central venous catheter.

  On the exam: Recognition, paired with CAUTI.

• HAI healthcare-associated infection

  An infection acquired while receiving care. The tracked categories each have their own abbreviation: CAUTI, CLABSI, SSI and VAP.

  On the exam: The four tracked categories are the recall item.

• MRSA methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

  A strain of Staphylococcus aureus resistant to several common antibiotics.

  On the exam: Recognition, alongside VRE and C. difficile as the named resistant or precaution organisms.

• PPE personal protective equipment

  Gloves, gown, mask or respirator, and eye protection.

  On the exam: Ordering items are standard: the sequence for putting it on differs from the sequence for taking it off, and that asymmetry is the point.

• SSI surgical site infection

  An infection at or near a surgical incision after an operation.

  On the exam: Recognition in the HAI set.

• TB tuberculosis

  An infection caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, transmitted through the air.

  On the exam: Recognition, and airborne as the transmission category in a precautions set.

• VAP ventilator-associated pneumonia

  Pneumonia developing in a patient on mechanical ventilation.

  On the exam: Recognition in the HAI set.

• VRE vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus

  Enterococcus resistant to vancomycin.

  On the exam: Recognition, paired with MRSA.

Equipment and therapies

• BiPAP bilevel positive airway pressure

  Two pressures — a higher one for inhalation and a lower one for exhalation.

  On the exam: Paired with CPAP; the bi- prefix carries the answer.

• CPAP continuous positive airway pressure

  One constant pressure through the whole breathing cycle.

  On the exam: Tested against BiPAP: continuous is one pressure, bilevel is two.

• CVC central venous catheter

  A catheter whose tip lies in a large central vein.

  On the exam: Recognition, alongside PICC and CLABSI.

• ETT endotracheal tube

  A tube placed through the mouth or nose into the trachea to secure the airway.

  On the exam: Recognition, and the link to DNI as the order that declines it.

• Foley indwelling urinary catheter

  A urinary catheter held in place by a small inflated balloon, named for its designer. A straight catheter is inserted and removed in one go.

  On the exam: Recognition, and the link to CAUTI and to intake-and-output recording.

• NC nasal cannula

  A low-flow device delivering oxygen through two prongs at the nostrils.

  On the exam: Recognition, in the delivery-device set with masks.

• NGT nasogastric tube

  A tube passed through the nose into the stomach, for feeding or for drainage.

  On the exam: Tested against a PEG tube: nasogastric goes through the nose, a PEG is placed through the abdominal wall.

• NRB non-rebreather mask

  A mask with a reservoir bag and one-way valves, so exhaled air is not re-inhaled — which is what the name describes.

  On the exam: Recognition; the name explaining the mechanism is the hook.

• O₂ oxygen

  Supplemental oxygen, delivered by devices including nasal cannula, simple mask and non-rebreather. Room air is about 21% oxygen.

  On the exam: The 21% figure is the tested number, because every delivery device is described relative to it.

• ORIF open reduction, internal fixation

  Surgical repair of a fracture: the bone is realigned through an incision (open reduction) and held with hardware (internal fixation).

  On the exam: Tested against closed reduction (no incision) and external fixation (hardware outside the skin).

• PCA patient-controlled analgesia

  A pump that lets the patient deliver doses within programmed limits. Watch the collision: PCA is also a personal care assistant.

  On the exam: Recognition, and the rule that only the patient presses the button — which is the safety feature of the design.

• PEG percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy

  A feeding tube placed through the abdominal wall into the stomach.

  On the exam: Paired with NGT; "percutaneous" means through the skin, which gives the answer.

• PICC peripherally inserted central catheter

  A catheter inserted in a peripheral vein, usually in the arm, whose tip sits in a central vein. The name contains both facts.

  On the exam: Recognition; peripheral insertion with a central tip is the tested detail.

• SCD sequential compression device

  Inflatable sleeves that compress the legs in sequence to encourage venous return.

  On the exam: Recognition, and the link to DVT.

• TACO / TRALI transfusion-associated circulatory overload / transfusion-related acute lung injury

  Two serious transfusion reactions that both cause breathlessness. TACO is fluid overload from volume; TRALI is an immune lung injury.

  On the exam: A differentiation item: high blood pressure and fluid signs point to TACO; fever and low blood pressure with lung findings point to TRALI.

• TED hose thromboembolic deterrent stockings

  Graduated compression stockings — the name spells out the purpose.

  On the exam: Recognition, paired with SCD.

• TKA / THA total knee arthroplasty / total hip arthroplasty

  Joint replacement of the knee or the hip. Also written TKR / THR (replacement).

  On the exam: Appears in postoperative and mobility items, where weight-bearing orders and positioning restrictions are the tested detail.

• TPN total parenteral nutrition

  Nutrition delivered intravenously, bypassing the digestive tract entirely. Parenteral means outside the intestine.

  On the exam: The enteral/parenteral pair is the item: enteral goes through the gut, parenteral goes around it.

• W/C wheelchair

  Written in mobility and transfer documentation.

  On the exam: Recognition, in the mobility set with amb and ROM.

Maternal and newborn

• APGAR Appearance, Pulse, Grimace, Activity, Respiration

  The five-part newborn scoring system, assessed shortly after birth and again a few minutes later. Each item scores 0, 1 or 2, for a total out of 10. The letters are a backronym — the score is named after Dr. Virginia Apgar, who devised it.

  • Appearance — skin color.
  • Pulse — heart rate.
  • Grimace — reflex response to stimulation.
  • Activity — muscle tone.
  • Respiration — respiratory effort and cry.

  On the exam: Two things get asked: what the letters stand for, and the scoring arithmetic — five items, 0 to 2 each, maximum 10.

• AROM / SROM artificial rupture of membranes / spontaneous rupture of membranes

  Whether the amniotic sac was broken by a clinician (AROM) or broke on its own (SROM).

  On the exam: Tested as a pair, and alongside PROM — rupture before labour begins — which is the third member of the set.

• BUBBLE-HE Breasts, Uterus, Bladder, Bowel, Lochia, Episiotomy, Homans sign, Emotional statussee warning

  The structure of a postpartum assessment, covering the systems that change most in the days after birth. A shorter version, BUBBLE-LE, ends with Lower Extremities and Emotional status.

  • Breasts.
  • Uterus — fundal height and firmness.
  • Bladder.
  • Bowel.
  • Lochia — amount and character of discharge.
  • Episiotomy or incision site.
  • Homans sign — a legacy check of the lower extremities.
  • Emotional status.

  On the exam: A recall item in maternal-newborn content. The E for emotional status is the one most often left off a list.

  Homans sign is retained in this mnemonic for historical reasons; its reliability has long been questioned, and lower-extremity assessment has largely replaced it. Learn the letter, not a recommendation.

• C/S cesarean section

  Surgical delivery through the abdomen. Also written C-section or CS.

  On the exam: A recognition item; the exam interest is postoperative versus postpartum care items that follow.

• EBL estimated blood loss

  The documented estimate of bleeding during a delivery or an operation.

  On the exam: Appears as a charted value in postpartum and postoperative items; the exam interest is the threshold at which it defines hemorrhage.

• EDD / EDC estimated date of delivery / estimated date of confinement

  The due date. Two abbreviations for the same date; EDC is the older term.

  On the exam: Calculated from the LMP with Naegele’s rule in dating items.

• FHR fetal heart rate

  The fetal heart rate, monitored during pregnancy and labour, with a normal baseline range that is a fixed exam number.

  On the exam: Appears in monitoring items with VEAL CHOP, and as a range item — the normal baseline is among the most tested numbers in maternity content.

• G / P gravida / para

  Gravida counts pregnancies, para counts births past twenty weeks. "G3 P2" is three pregnancies, two births. GTPAL is the expanded version.

  On the exam: Tested as a counting item: given an obstetric history, write the G and P. Twins count once for para; a current pregnancy counts for gravida.

• GDM gestational diabetes mellitus

  Diabetes first recognised during pregnancy. Distinct from pre-existing type 1 or type 2 diabetes in a pregnant patient.

  On the exam: Tested as a definition and in screening items about when in pregnancy it is looked for.

• GTPAL Gravida, Term, Preterm, Abortions, Living children

  A five-part shorthand for obstetric history. The shorter TPAL drops the leading G, and GP is shorter still — gravida and para only.

  • Gravida — total number of pregnancies.
  • Term — births at 37 weeks or later.
  • Preterm — births before 37 weeks.
  • Abortions — pregnancies ending before viability, spontaneous or induced.
  • Living — children currently living.

  On the exam: Calculation items are standard: a history is described and you assign the five numbers. The trap is gravida, which counts pregnancies rather than babies, so a twin pregnancy is one gravida and two living children.

• HELLP Hemolysis, Elevated Liver enzymes, Low Platelets

  A severe complication of pregnancy related to preeclampsia, named for its three laboratory features.

  • Hemolysis — red cells breaking down.
  • Elevated Liver enzymes.
  • Low Platelet count.

  On the exam: Tested as what the letters stand for and as the lab pattern that distinguishes it from preeclampsia alone.

• LMP last menstrual period

  The first day of the last period — the date pregnancy dating starts from.

  On the exam: The input to Naegele’s rule. Items give an LMP and ask for the estimated due date.

• Naegele’s rule LMP − 3 months + 7 days (+ 1 year)

  The standard way to estimate a due date from the last menstrual period: subtract three months, add seven days, and adjust the year.

  • Start from the first day of the last menstrual period.
  • Subtract three months.
  • Add seven days.
  • Add a year where the subtraction crossed into the previous one.

  On the exam: A pure calculation item, and one of the most reliable ones on maternity content. The error to watch is the year.

• NAS neonatal abstinence syndrome

  Withdrawal in a newborn exposed to certain substances before birth.

  On the exam: Tested as a definition and in newborn-assessment items describing the signs a scoring tool looks for.

• PPH postpartum hemorrhage

  Excessive bleeding after birth, defined by blood loss volume and timing after delivery.

  On the exam: Appears in postpartum assessment items; the BUBBLE-HE check is the framework those items are built on.

• PROM (membranes) premature rupture of membranes

  Rupture of the amniotic sac before labour starts. Preterm PROM (PPROM) is the same event before 37 weeks. The same letters mean passive range of motion elsewhere.

  On the exam: Tested against AROM and SROM, and as a context item: PROM on an orthopedic chart is a different abbreviation.

• RDS respiratory distress syndrome

  Breathing difficulty in newborns, most often premature ones, from immature lungs. ARDS is the unrelated adult condition with a similar name.

  On the exam: The confusable pair is RDS (newborn, surfactant) versus ARDS (adult, acute injury). Items test that the two are different conditions.

• REEDA Redness, Edema, Ecchymosis, Discharge, Approximation

  The five features described when a wound or an episiotomy site is assessed for healing.

  • Redness.
  • Edema — swelling.
  • Ecchymosis — bruising.
  • Discharge.
  • Approximation — whether the wound edges meet.

  On the exam: The A is the tested letter, because approximation is the one feature that is about the wound’s structure rather than its appearance.

• TORCH Toxoplasmosis, Other, Rubella, Cytomegalovirus, Herpes simplex

  A memory aid for infections that can cross the placenta and affect the fetus. "Other" covers a changing list that includes syphilis.

  • Toxoplasmosis
  • Other (syphilis, varicella, and more)
  • Rubella
  • Cytomegalovirus
  • Herpes simplex

  On the exam: A recall item — what the letters stand for — and occasionally a teaching item about the exposures the T refers to.

• VBAC vaginal birth after cesarean

  A vaginal delivery in a patient who has previously had a cesarean.

  On the exam: Appears as a recognition item and in history-taking items where the previous delivery type matters.

• VEAL CHOP Variable–Cord, Early–Head, Acceleration–OK, Late–Placental

  A two-column memory aid pairing each pattern of fetal heart rate change with the cause it is classically associated with. VEAL are the patterns, CHOP are the causes, read across.

  • Variable deceleration → Cord compression.
  • Early deceleration → Head compression.
  • Acceleration → OK, a reassuring finding.
  • Late deceleration → Placental insufficiency.

  On the exam: A matching item, and one of the most heavily drilled mnemonics in maternal-newborn coursework. The letters only work when the two words are read as a pair.

Pharmacology patterns

• DUMBELS Diarrhea, Urination, Miosis, Bronchospasm/Bradycardia, Emesis, Lacrimation, Salivation

  The features of cholinergic excess — the same picture SLUDGE describes, arranged differently and including the bronchial and cardiac effects.

  • Diarrhea
  • Urination
  • Miosis — small pupils
  • Bronchospasm, bronchorrhea, bradycardia
  • Emesis
  • Lacrimation
  • Salivation

  On the exam: Tested with SLUDGE as the cholinergic pattern; the anticholinergic pattern ("dry as a bone, red as a beet…") is its opposite and the usual distractor.

• MUDPILES Methanol, Uremia, Diabetic ketoacidosis, Propylene glycol, Infection, Lactic acidosis, Ethylene glycol, Salicylates

  A list of causes classically associated with a high anion gap metabolic acidosis. Several slightly different versions of the list circulate, which is worth knowing before you memorize one.

  On the exam: A recall item in later coursework rather than on an entrance exam; it is included here because students meet it early in chemistry review.

• SLUDGE Salivation, Lacrimation, Urination, Defecation, Gastrointestinal upset, Emesis

  The pattern of effects associated with excessive cholinergic activity. Longer variants add M for miosis and muscle weakness (SLUDGEM) or take the form DUMBELS.

  • Salivation.
  • Lacrimation — tearing.
  • Urination.
  • Defecation.
  • Gastrointestinal upset.
  • Emesis — vomiting.

  On the exam: Appears in pharmacology as a pattern-recognition item, usually paired with its opposite: anticholinergic effects, which are taught as dry mouth, dry eyes and retention.

Lab and diagnostic patterns

• ABG Arterial blood gas

  A blood sample drawn from an artery rather than a vein, reported as a set of values including pH, carbon dioxide and bicarbonate.

  On the exam: Entrance exams ask what the letters stand for and what makes the sample arterial. Interpreting the values comes later, and ROME is the mnemonic for it.

• ROME Respiratory Opposite, Metabolic Equal

  A method for reading arterial blood gases: in a respiratory disturbance the pH and the carbon dioxide move in opposite directions, and in a metabolic one the pH and the bicarbonate move in the same direction.

  • Respiratory Opposite — pH up and CO₂ down, or pH down and CO₂ up.
  • Metabolic Equal — pH and HCO₃⁻ move together.

  On the exam: The single most useful ABG mnemonic, and the one that turns a four-value reading into two comparisons.

Mental health

• ADHD attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

  A neurodevelopmental condition with inattention, hyperactivity, or both, beginning in childhood.

  On the exam: Tested as a recognition item and in paediatric-development items about the age by which symptoms appear.

• BPD borderline personality disorder — or bronchopulmonary dysplasia, or biparietal diametersee warning

  Three unrelated meanings share the letters: a personality disorder in mental health, a chronic lung condition of premature infants, and a fetal head measurement on ultrasound. The chart’s setting decides.

  On the exam: Tested as a context item: the same letters on a psychiatric, neonatal, and obstetric chart mean three different things.

  Ambiguous by design of the alphabet, not by policy — this abbreviation is not on the official Do Not Use list, but it is the standard example of why context has to be read before a chart abbreviation is trusted.

• CAGE Cut down, Annoyed, Guilty, Eye-opener

  A four-question screen for problem drinking, named for the key word in each question.

  • Cut down — has the person felt they should cut down?
  • Annoyed — have others annoyed them by criticising their drinking?
  • Guilty — have they felt guilty about it?
  • Eye-opener — have they needed a drink first thing in the morning?

  On the exam: Tested as what the letters stand for and as which screening tool fits an alcohol-use scenario; CIWA (withdrawal) is the usual distractor.

• DIG FAST Distractibility, Indiscretion, Grandiosity, Flight of ideas, Activity increase, Sleep deficit, Talkativeness

  A memory aid for the features of a manic episode.

  • Distractibility
  • Indiscretion — impulsive, risky behaviour
  • Grandiosity
  • Flight of ideas
  • Activity increase
  • Sleep deficit — reduced need for sleep
  • Talkativeness — pressured speech

  On the exam: The manic counterpart of SIG E CAPS. Items describe a patient and ask for the episode type, or ask which feature is not part of mania.

• GAD generalized anxiety disorder

  Persistent, excessive worry across many areas of life. The GAD-7 is its screening questionnaire.

  On the exam: Tested as a definition and against panic disorder and phobias in differentiation items.

• HI homicidal ideation

  Thoughts of harming another person. Assessed and documented alongside SI.

  On the exam: Paired with SI in items; also tested as the abbreviation that has nothing to do with "hi" as a greeting in a chart.

• MDD major depressive disorder

  Clinical depression as a diagnosis, distinct from a depressed mood.

  On the exam: Appears with SIG E CAPS (the symptom mnemonic) and PHQ-9 (the screen). Items test the symptoms and the duration required for the diagnosis.

• OCD obsessive-compulsive disorder

  Intrusive, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviours performed to relieve them (compulsions).

  On the exam: The exam point is the pairing: an obsession is the thought, a compulsion is the act. Items ask which is which.

• PTSD post-traumatic stress disorder

  A condition following a traumatic event, with re-experiencing, avoidance, and heightened arousal as its symptom groups.

  On the exam: Items list symptoms and ask for the diagnosis, or ask which symptom group a described behaviour belongs to.

• SI suicidal ideation

  Thoughts of suicide, documented as present or absent, with plan and intent described when present. HI is the parallel abbreviation for homicidal ideation.

  On the exam: Appears in mental-health and safety items. The exam point is that it is asked about directly and documented precisely.

• SIG E CAPS Sleep, Interest, Guilt, Energy, Concentration, Appetite, Psychomotor, Suicidalitysee warning

  A memory aid for the domains covered when depressive symptoms are described. It is a checklist of what gets asked about, not a diagnostic instrument.

  • Sleep changes.
  • Interest — loss of interest or pleasure.
  • Guilt or worthlessness.
  • Energy — fatigue or loss of energy.
  • Concentration.
  • Appetite or weight change.
  • Psychomotor agitation or slowing.
  • Suicidality.

  On the exam: Appears in mental-health content as a recall item.

  A memory aid for terminology, not a screening tool and not a diagnosis. Diagnosis is a clinician’s judgment against published criteria.

Patient teaching

• BRAT Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, Toastsee warning

  A traditional bland-diet mnemonic for recovering from stomach upset. Still recognised on exams as a term, though it is no longer generally recommended as a diet because it is low in protein and energy.

  On the exam: Appears as a recall item and, increasingly, as a "which teaching is outdated" item.

  Examinable as a term; not a description of current dietary guidance. Treat it the way MONA and LMNOP are treated on this site.

• Five As Ask, Advise, Assess, Assist, Arrange

  The structure of a brief counseling conversation, most often taught in the context of tobacco cessation.

  • Ask about use.
  • Advise on stopping.
  • Assess willingness to try.
  • Assist with a plan.
  • Arrange follow-up.

  On the exam: The final A is the tested letter — a conversation that ends without arranging follow-up is the incomplete option.

• Teach-back Ask the patient to explain it back in their own words

  Not an acronym, but it belongs with them: the standard method for confirming that teaching was understood. The patient explains the instruction back rather than answering yes to "do you understand?".

  On the exam: Items give four ways to check understanding and ask which confirms it. Anything answerable with yes or no is the wrong answer.

Roles and settings

• APRN advanced practice registered nurse

  An umbrella term covering nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, certified nurse-midwives and certified registered nurse anesthetists.

  On the exam: Recognition, plus knowing that NP is one of the four roles the umbrella covers.

• CNA certified nursing assistant

  A certified role supporting daily care — bathing, feeding, transferring, and recording vital signs — under nursing supervision.

  On the exam: Delegation items are the standard use: what may be delegated to a CNA, and what may not because it requires assessment or judgment.

• ED / ER emergency department / emergency room

  The unit receiving unscheduled presentations. ED is the current term; ER is the older one.

  On the exam: Recognition.

• HHC home health care

  Nursing and therapy delivered in the patient’s own home.

  On the exam: Recognition, in the continuum-of-care set.

• ICU intensive care unit

  A unit for patients needing continuous monitoring and support. Variants name the population: CCU for coronary or critical care, NICU for neonatal, PICU for pediatric.

  On the exam: The NICU/PICU distinction is the usual item — neonatal is newborns, pediatric is children.

• L&D labor and delivery

  The unit caring for people in labor and at birth.

  On the exam: Recognition, in the maternal-newborn set.

• LPN / LVN licensed practical nurse / licensed vocational nurse

  A nurse licensed after a shorter program, working under the direction of an RN or a physician. The two titles are the same role under different state names — LVN is used in California and Texas.

  On the exam: Scope-of-practice items; the two titles being equivalent is itself sometimes the question.

• LTC long-term care

  Ongoing care for people who need help with daily living over an extended period.

  On the exam: Recognition, paired with SNF.

• MD doctor of medicine

  A physician. DO, doctor of osteopathic medicine, is the other fully licensed physician degree in the United States.

  On the exam: Recognition, usually in a set with DO, NP and PA.

• NICU neonatal intensive care unit

  The intensive care unit for newborns. PICU is the paediatric one for older children.

  On the exam: Tested as a settings item alongside ICU, PICU, PACU, and L&D.

• NP nurse practitioner

  An advanced practice nurse who assesses, diagnoses and manages care, with authority set by state law.

  On the exam: A recognition item under the APRN umbrella.

• OR operating room

  Where surgery is performed. The perioperative sequence runs pre-op, intra-op, post-op.

  On the exam: Recognition, usually with PACU.

• OT occupational therapist / occupational therapy

  Focused on the activities of daily living and the adaptations that make them possible.

  On the exam: Paired with PT.

• PA physician assistant / physician associate

  A licensed clinician educated in the medical model, practicing in collaboration with physicians.

  On the exam: Recognition; note the collision with PA meaning posteroanterior on a chest film.

• PACU post-anesthesia care unit

  Where a patient recovers immediately after anesthesia, sometimes called recovery.

  On the exam: Recognition, paired with OR.

• PT physical therapist / physical therapy

  Focused on movement, strength and mobility.

  On the exam: The PT/OT distinction is the item: physical therapy works on moving, occupational therapy works on doing — the tasks of daily life.

• RN registered nurse

  A nurse licensed after completing an approved program and passing the national licensure examination.

  On the exam: The RN/LPN scope distinction is a standard item, and assessment is the usual dividing line.

• RT respiratory therapist

  A clinician specializing in breathing and airway therapies.

  On the exam: Recognition, in the interprofessional-team set with PT, OT and SLP.

• SLP speech-language pathologist

  Focused on communication and on swallowing.

  On the exam: The tested detail is that swallowing, not only speech, is within this role.

• SNF skilled nursing facility

  A facility providing nursing care at a level below acute hospital care, often after a hospital stay. LTC, long-term care, is the broader term.

  On the exam: Recognition; the distinction from LTC is about the level of care, not the length of stay.

Every term, A to Z

Frequently asked

What does RACE stand for in nursing?

Rescue, Alarm, Confine, Extinguish — the order of response taught for a fire in a healthcare facility. It pairs with PASS, which covers how an extinguisher is operated.

What does SBAR stand for?

Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation — the standard structure for handing information to another clinician so that nothing important is left to the end of the call.

Which abbreviations should never be used?

The Joint Commission maintains an Official "Do Not Use" List, which includes U and u for unit, IU, QD, QOD, trailing zeros, missing leading zeros, and MS, MSO4 and MgSO4. Each has been misread in ways that caused harm.

Do entrance exams test these directly?

The TEAS and HESI A2 test the word parts these are built from — prefixes, roots and suffixes — more often than the abbreviations themselves. The abbreviations become unavoidable the day your program starts.