concise Lab values

nurseprnRN, BSN, RN · Jan 23, 2012

no. there are too many of them. you're just going to have to read all the patient's labs every day, get used to what you're seeing, and get used to the most commonly-ordered ones. chem-6 or chem-12, cbc, and abgs come to mind. learn the normals for those and then you can start branching out. if you're in a specialty area where they do a lot of coag studies, learn those. if you're in cardiac, learn cardiac enzymes and other cardiac markers. if you're in surgery, learn liver and pancreatic ones. no substitute for studying. you didn't think you'd get to stop after you got out of school, did you?

Morainey, BSN, RN · Jan 23, 2012

When I first started working, I printed out the fish skeleton thingy (Na, K, Cl, CO2, BUN, Creatinine, Glucose and also WBC/Hgb/Hct/Platelets) and taped it to the back of my badge. Once you start using it with each patient, it is easy to memorize.

netglow, ASN, RN · Jan 23, 2012

You can get apps that have those levels listed. I think some are really inexpensive. I have Davis Drug Guide and it has a lab values appendix. Good to have in my pocket. But, If you are looking at labs, the report will have a HI or LO notation done for you. So knowing values is not important, but getting to know what is a problem and needs intervention is. Not every HI or LO is a problem...