Medical Terminology & lab Values

Nursing Students Student Assist

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Hello all

This is the end of my fourth week of Nursing school and even though I am stressed and my eyes are burning from reading so much, I am LOVING it!!!

Can anyone recommend any "pocket" medical terminilogy and or Lab Values books or "quick reference" sheets/guide. I have regualar size books but need something small to bring to clinicals with me. Our clinical instructor has a way of questioning us on the spot, so I would like something I can quickly whip out of my pocket as opposed to carrying around 2 textbooks.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated:)

Thank you!

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Specializes in CNA.

Some of my classmates have clipboards like this:

http://www.amazon.com/Quick-E-Rescue-Clinical-Clipboard-Bandido/dp/1929693249/ref=pd_sim_sbs_b_3

Others took regular clipboards and taped their own printed information on them. You would probably get more out of making your own.

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For the lab values, my school recommends

"Laboratory Tests and Diagnostic Procedures with Nursing Diagnoses" by Jane

Corbett

check for it on amazon.com

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Thanks for you replies.

Appreciate it!!!

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I have an 8"x4" list of critical lab values that I made using Excel. I print it out whenever adding something to it (ex. when doing peds, OB - had to add stuff that wasn't necessary during M/S).

It's handy, slips inconspicuously into my pocket, I don't have to rummage around in a reference book when looking for the value that I need. I also study/memorize it whenever I have a nano second when on the floor, quiz classmates at lunch, and use it when drs or nurses are giving their reports and start to rattle about H&H, bili, wbc, etc., etc., etc.

BTW, a couple of classmates ask me on a regular basis if they can look at my little sheet!

Some of my classmates use the small spiral bound nurse's notes books that are available at bookstores. Those are helpful, but are just way too big/heavy for scrub pockets.

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I have Davis' RN Notes and I love it! Very useful during my 1st semester and my clinical professor just suggested we get Med Surg Notes for this semester.

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notmanydaysoff

would you be offended if i asked it you could pm me a copy of yours, so i can build of off that?

thank you!

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I'll look into to RN notes thing too. Maybe our school bookstore has some

Thanks

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2b - no, of course I'm not offended! It's on a zip drive that is currently in my car. Will have to do it later.

nmdo

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not sure if this may help you, but if you have an android phone you can get this app called Mini Nurse which has some lab values and a bunch of other stuff on there. it's free so you might want to check that first to see if it has what you need before buying something that's $99 from amazon.

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sorry 2b, this has been a crazy week. this is the first time I've been online in days. here's the information that I have on a 8.5x11 sheet that I trim to about 4.5" wide so that I can fold and put in my pocket.

if you choose to use it, hopefully you can just cut and paste into a word (not excel, like I thought) document. it is not a heavily formatted document, but I see that the tabs aren't aligned. oh well, you'll get the idea. BTW, the values came from saunder's nclex guide.

for the dilantin, theophylline, acetaminophen, there should've been a big parenthesis pointing to the toxic level value - all 3 Rx are the same

one of my profs saw it today and commented that it was a handy little reference. hope it helps!

here goes:

Important Lab Values

Mg 1.6-2.6

P 2.7-4.5

K 3.5-5.1

Ca 8.6-10

Na 135-145

Cl 98-107

Fe 50-175

RBC 4.0-6.2 million

Hematocrit (Hct) 35%-52%

Hemoglobin (Hgb) 12-16.5

Anemia Dx 10-12,

WBC 4,500-11,000 (mm3)

Infection >25,000

Platelets 150,000-400,000

Thrombocytopenia

Thrombocytosis >600,000

Protein (total) 6-8

Albumin 3.4-5

INR (Coumadin) 1.5-4.5

PT (Coumadin) 9.6-13 sec (vit K)

PTT (Heparin) 21-35 sec (protamine sulfate)

Clotting time 8-15 sec

Bilirubin (total) 0-0.2-1.5

BUN 8-25 (GFR)

Serum Creatinine 0.6-1.3 (renal fx)

HCO3 (bicarb)22-27

paCO2 35-45

paO2 80-100

CK 26-174

CPK 0-120

Troponin I 1.5=MI

Troponin II >0.2=MI

Myoglobin >90 may be MI

AST (SGOT) 10-36

Dilantin

Acetaminophen 10-20 meq

Theophyline

Gentamycin/tobramycin 5-10

Carbamazapine (tegretol) 5-12

Digoxin 0.5-2

Valproic acid (Depakene) 50-100

Salicylates 100-250

MagSO4 4-7

Blood pH 7.35-7.45

Fasting blood glucose 70-110

Finger stick 60-110

FHR 120-160

BP 90-140/60-90

Pb (lead)

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Specializes in LTAC, CRITICAL CARE, MEDSURG.

Thank you for taking the time to share your info. I know this post is old, but I share my notes with people all the time. I have my own little thing based from my Saunder's NCLEX book as well, and my MedSurg and Fundamentals book, plus my Pearson Lab and Diagnostics test book. But, I have just put values for what we have done and add as I go or if I get an updated value (some books and agencies are different which is no fun). I even added conversions and stuff for Medmath-which I still suck at. But this is cool. I am in my 2nd semester and its crunch time. People like you posting this stuff help people that are trying so hard like me.

THanks!

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