NMC CBT cheat sheet

Normal adult resting values: respiratory rate 12-20/min, SpO2 94-98% on air, systolic BP 90-140 mmHg, pulse 60-100/min, temperature 36.1-37.8 C.

Adult basic life support sequence: check responsiveness, call for help, open airway, check breathing and pulse simultaneously for 10 seconds, start compressions 30:2 at 100-120/min, depth 5-6 cm.

Sepsis screening triggers: NEWS2 or local score rise, new confusion, systolic BP 90 mmHg or below, respiratory rate 21/min or above, heart rate 91/min or above.

Pressure ulcer staging runs 1 to 4 plus unstageable and suspected deep tissue injury; Category 1 is non-blanchable erythema of intact skin.

Pain assessment uses a validated tool matched to the patient: numeric rating scale for adults, Wong-Baker FACES or FLACC for children, Abbey or PAINAD for dementia.

Fluid balance: record intake and output over 24 hours; urine output below 0.5 mL/kg/hour for two consecutive hours suggests oliguria and warrants escalation.

Medication rights: right patient, drug, dose, route, time, documentation, and reason; check allergy status and obtain a second checker for controlled drugs and high-risk infusions.

Midwifery: first stage of labour is 0-10 cm cervical dilatation; second stage is full dilatation to birth; third stage is birth to delivery of the placenta.

Hand hygiene follows WHO five moments: before patient contact, before aseptic task, after body fluid exposure, after patient contact, after contact with surroundings.

The NMC Code has four themes: prioritise people, practise effectively, preserve safety, and promote professionalism and trust.

The Code applies to all registrants at all times, including outside professional practice where conduct could undermine public confidence.

Registrants must have an appropriate indemnity arrangement in place as a condition of registration.

Revalidation occurs every three years and requires 35 hours continuing professional development, of which 20 must be participatory, plus 450 practice hours for nurses and midwives.

Revalidation also requires five pieces of practice-related feedback, five reflective accounts, a reflective discussion, a confirmer, and health and character declarations.

The NMC requires 450 practice hours for nurses and midwives and 300 for nursing associates over the three-year period.

Fitness to practise concerns can arise from misconduct, lack of competence, health, or a caution or conviction; serious cases go to a practice committee.

The duty of candour requires being open and honest with patients when something has gone wrong, offering an apology, explanation, and remedy.

Delegation is only appropriate when the delegator is satisfied the task is within the delegate's competence and the delegator remains accountable.

Consent has three elements: the patient must have capacity, be given sufficient information, and give consent voluntarily.

Capacity assessment uses the four-stage test: understand, retain, weigh the information, and communicate a decision.

Best-interest decisions under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 consider past and present wishes, least restrictive option, and consultation with those close to the person.

Active listening techniques include open questions, reflection, summarising, and allowing silence rather than interrupting.

SBAR handover structure: Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation.

Breaking bad news often follows SPIKES: Setting, Perception, Invitation, Knowledge, Emotions, Strategy and summary.

Interpreters should be professional and independent; family members, especially children, should not be used as interpreters for clinical discussions.

Health literacy: use plain language, avoid jargon, use teach-back to confirm understanding, and provide written information at an appropriate reading level.

Record keeping: documentation must be completed as soon as possible, be factual, clear, accurate, and signed with name, role, and date.

Duty of care creates a legal obligation to act reasonably; negligence requires a duty, a breach, causation, and resulting harm.

The four ethical principles are autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice.

Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards or Liberty Protection Safeguards apply when a person lacks capacity and is under continuous supervision and control, not free to leave.

Mental Health Act 1983 detention requires an application supported by two medical recommendations, except in specific emergency sections such as section 4.

Safeguarding: escalate suspected abuse or neglect to the local safeguarding lead; the patient's wishes are central, and consent is not required to raise a concern.

Duty to report: incidents, near misses, and medication errors must be reported through the local incident system, and the patient informed where harm occurred.

Infection prevention: five moments of hand hygiene, bare below the elbows, correct PPE donning and doffing order, and safe sharps disposal.

Whistleblowing is protected when raised through internal channels or a prescribed body; the NMC expects concerns about safety to be raised and escalated.

Consent for children: assess Gillick competence; under-16s may consent if they have sufficient understanding, and refusal by a competent child may be overridden in some circumstances by the court or those with parental responsibility.

Normal adult resting values: respiratory rate 12-20/min, SpO2 94-98% on air, systolic BP 90-140 mmHg, pulse 60-100/min, temperature 36.1-37.8 C.

Adult basic life support sequence: check responsiveness, call for help, open airway, check breathing and pulse simultaneously for 10 seconds, start compressions 30:2 at 100-120/min, depth 5-6 cm.

Sepsis screening triggers: NEWS2 or local score rise, new confusion, systolic BP 90 mmHg or below, respiratory rate 21/min or above, heart rate 91/min or above.

Pressure ulcer staging runs 1 to 4 plus unstageable and suspected deep tissue injury; Category 1 is non-blanchable erythema of intact skin.

Pain assessment uses a validated tool matched to the patient: numeric rating scale for adults, Wong-Baker FACES or FLACC for children, Abbey or PAINAD for dementia.

Fluid balance: record intake and output over 24 hours; urine output below 0.5 mL/kg/hour for two consecutive hours suggests oliguria and warrants escalation.

Medication rights: right patient, drug, dose, route, time, documentation, and reason; check allergy status and obtain a second checker for controlled drugs and high-risk infusions.

Midwifery: first stage of labour is 0-10 cm cervical dilatation; second stage is full dilatation to birth; third stage is birth to delivery of the placenta.

Hand hygiene follows WHO five moments: before patient contact, before aseptic task, after body fluid exposure, after patient contact, after contact with surroundings.

The NMC Code has four themes: prioritise people, practise effectively, preserve safety, and promote professionalism and trust.

The Code applies to all registrants at all times, including outside professional practice where conduct could undermine public confidence.

Registrants must have an appropriate indemnity arrangement in place as a condition of registration.

Revalidation occurs every three years and requires 35 hours continuing professional development, of which 20 must be participatory, plus 450 practice hours for nurses and midwives.

Revalidation also requires five pieces of practice-related feedback, five reflective accounts, a reflective discussion, a confirmer, and health and character declarations.

The NMC requires 450 practice hours for nurses and midwives and 300 for nursing associates over the three-year period.

Fitness to practise concerns can arise from misconduct, lack of competence, health, or a caution or conviction; serious cases go to a practice committee.

The duty of candour requires being open and honest with patients when something has gone wrong, offering an apology, explanation, and remedy.

Delegation is only appropriate when the delegator is satisfied the task is within the delegate's competence and the delegator remains accountable.

Consent has three elements: the patient must have capacity, be given sufficient information, and give consent voluntarily.

Capacity assessment uses the four-stage test: understand, retain, weigh the information, and communicate a decision.

Best-interest decisions under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 consider past and present wishes, least restrictive option, and consultation with those close to the person.

Active listening techniques include open questions, reflection, summarising, and allowing silence rather than interrupting.

SBAR handover structure: Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation.

Breaking bad news often follows SPIKES: Setting, Perception, Invitation, Knowledge, Emotions, Strategy and summary.

Interpreters should be professional and independent; family members, especially children, should not be used as interpreters for clinical discussions.

Health literacy: use plain language, avoid jargon, use teach-back to confirm understanding, and provide written information at an appropriate reading level.

Record keeping: documentation must be completed as soon as possible, be factual, clear, accurate, and signed with name, role, and date.

Duty of care creates a legal obligation to act reasonably; negligence requires a duty, a breach, causation, and resulting harm.

The four ethical principles are autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice.

Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards or Liberty Protection Safeguards apply when a person lacks capacity and is under continuous supervision and control, not free to leave.

Mental Health Act 1983 detention requires an application supported by two medical recommendations, except in specific emergency sections such as section 4.

Safeguarding: escalate suspected abuse or neglect to the local safeguarding lead; the patient's wishes are central, and consent is not required to raise a concern.

Duty to report: incidents, near misses, and medication errors must be reported through the local incident system, and the patient informed where harm occurred.

Infection prevention: five moments of hand hygiene, bare below the elbows, correct PPE donning and doffing order, and safe sharps disposal.

Whistleblowing is protected when raised through internal channels or a prescribed body; the NMC expects concerns about safety to be raised and escalated.

Consent for children: assess Gillick competence; under-16s may consent if they have sufficient understanding, and refusal by a competent child may be overridden in some circumstances by the court or those with parental responsibility.