NCCT NCPCT cheat sheet

ADLs are basic self-care tasks: bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, eating, transferring, and ambulating; IADLs include cooking, shopping, finances, transportation, and housework.

Oral temperature normal range is about 36.5 to 37.5 C (97.7 to 99.5 F); axillary readings average about 0.5 C lower and rectal about 0.5 C higher.

Radial pulse is the most common adult pulse site; count for 30 seconds and multiply by 2 when regular, or count for a full 60 seconds when irregular.

Normal adult resting heart rate is 60 to 100 beats per minute; below 60 is bradycardia and above 100 is tachycardia.

Normal adult respiratory rate is 12 to 20 breaths per minute; observe chest rise without telling the patient to avoid altering the rate.

Normal blood pressure is less than 120/80 mm Hg; stage 1 hypertension is 130 to 139 or 80 to 89, and stage 2 is at least 140 or at least 90.

Oxygen saturation normal is 95 to 100 percent on room air; a reading below 90 percent is an urgent finding and requires escalation.

1 ounce equals 30 mL, 1 cup equals 240 mL, and 1 liter equals 1,000 mL; record all oral, tube, and intravenous intake and all urine, emesis, and drainage output.

When moving a patient, keep feet shoulder-width apart, bend at the knees, hold the load close, and pivot with the feet rather than twisting the spine.

Convert Celsius to Fahrenheit with F = (C x 9/5) + 32; convert Fahrenheit to Celsius with C = (F - 32) x 5/9.

Pulse deficit equals apical heart rate minus radial pulse rate; count apical and radial simultaneously for a full minute.

Orthostatic hypotension is a drop of at least 20 mm Hg systolic or at least 10 mm Hg diastolic within 3 minutes of standing; measure lying, sitting, and standing.

Blood pressure cuff bladder width should be about 40 percent of arm circumference and length about 80 percent; a cuff that is too small can falsely elevate the reading.

Pulse oximetry readings can be affected by cold fingers, movement, nail polish, and poor perfusion; place the probe on a warm, clean finger and not on the same arm as the BP cuff.

Assess pain using location, quality, intensity, timing, radiation, and aggravating or relieving factors; use a 0-to-10 numeric scale when the patient can self-report.

Capillary refill is normally less than 3 seconds; a delay greater than 3 seconds may indicate poor perfusion and should be reported.

Set monitor alarm limits according to the order and patient condition; never disable alarms or silence them without checking the patient.

A full 60-second respiratory count is required when the rhythm is irregular or the rate is abnormal.

Perform hand hygiene before patient contact, after patient contact, after body fluid exposure, before aseptic tasks, and after touching patient surroundings.

Don PPE in order: gown, mask or respirator, goggles or face shield, then gloves; remove gloves first and perform hand hygiene after all PPE is removed.

Standard precautions apply to every patient; transmission-based precautions add contact, droplet, or airborne protections based on the suspected organism.

Airborne precautions require an N95 respirator and a negative-pressure room for tuberculosis, measles, and varicella; droplet precautions require a surgical mask.

After a needlestick or sharps injury, wash with soap and water, report immediately, and follow the post-exposure protocol; do not squeeze or milk the wound.

A one-inch border around a sterile field is nonsterile; sterile items must remain above waist level and the field must not be left unattended.

Fall precautions include a low bed with brakes locked, call light within reach, non-skid footwear, clear pathways, and assistance with toileting.

Apply a gait belt around the waist over clothing for transfers; check fit and never use the belt as a restraint.

For a safe transfer, lock bed and wheelchair wheels, raise the bed to working height, place the patient's feet flat, and pivot toward the patient's stronger side.

A standard 12-lead ECG includes limb leads I, II, III, aVR, aVL, aVF and precordial leads V1 through V6.

V1 is at the fourth intercostal space at the right sternal border; V2 is at the fourth intercostal space at the left sternal border.

V4 is at the fifth intercostal space at the midclavicular line; V3 is placed midway between V2 and V4.

At standard paper speed of 25 mm per second, one small box is 0.04 second, one large box is 0.20 second, and five large boxes are 1 second.

For a regular rhythm, heart rate equals 300 divided by the number of large boxes between R waves, or 1,500 divided by small boxes.

Normal sinus rhythm has a regular rate of 60 to 100, a P wave before each QRS, PR interval 0.12 to 0.20 second, and QRS less than 0.12 second.

Common order of draw is blood culture, light blue citrate, serum tube, green heparin, lavender EDTA, then gray fluoride; follow facility policy.

Cleanse the venipuncture site with alcohol in concentric circles from center outward, let it dry, and do not touch the site after cleansing.

Keep the tourniquet on for no longer than 1 minute; prolonged tourniquet time causes hemoconcentration and inaccurate laboratory results.

HIPAA protects protected health information; disclose only the minimum necessary and avoid discussing patient details in public areas.

Informed consent requires patient capacity, voluntary choice, and understanding of risks, benefits, and alternatives; a technician may witness consent but not obtain it.

Mandatory reporting includes suspected abuse or neglect, certain communicable diseases, and specified injuries such as gunshot wounds according to state law.

Use SBAR, meaning Situation, Background, Assessment, and Recommendation, for structured handoffs and urgent reports.

Use active listening, open-ended questions, restatement, and plain language; use a qualified interpreter rather than a family member for consent discussions.

Document objectively, accurately, and promptly; record only facts and observations, not opinions or conclusions.

Correct a paper documentation error with a single line, date, time, and initials; never erase, cover, or alter the original entry.

Stay within scope of practice; perform only tasks for which you are trained and authorized, and ask for supervision when uncertain.

Follow the chain of command for unsafe conditions or practice concerns: report to the immediate supervisor, then to higher authority if unresolved.