Nursing Cheat Sheets

Pediatric Nursing Cheat Sheets

Essential quick-reference cards for pediatric assessment, milestones, medications, and common conditions.

Pediatric Vital Signs by Age

ESSENTIAL

Age Group	HR (bpm)	RR (/min)	BP (systolic)
Newborn	120-160	30-60	60-80
Infant (1-12 mo)	80-140	25-50	72-104
Toddler (1-3 yr)	80-130	20-30	80-112
Preschool (3-5 yr)	80-120	20-25	82-110
School-age (6-12 yr)	70-110	18-22	84-120
Adolescent (13-18 yr)	60-100	12-20	94-140

Tip: BP cuff should cover 2/3 of upper arm. Use appropriate size to avoid false readings.

Developmental Milestones

HIGH-YIELD

Age	Gross Motor	Language/Social
2 months	Lifts head prone	Social smile
4 months	Rolls front to back	Laughs, squeals
6 months	Sits with support	Babbles, stranger anxiety
9 months	Pulls to stand	Says "mama/dada" nonspecific
12 months	Walks with help	1-2 words specific
18 months	Runs clumsily	10-20 words
2 years	Kicks ball, stairs	2-word phrases, 50+ words
3 years	Rides tricycle	3-word sentences

Mnemonic: "2-4-6-9-12" = Smile, Roll, Sit, Stand, Walk

Estimated Weight Formulas

Age	Formula (kg)
Birth	~3.5 kg average
3-12 months	(Age in months + 9) / 2
1-5 years	(Age x 2) + 8
6-12 years	(Age x 3) + 7

Key fact: Birth weight doubles by 6 months, triples by 12 months, quadruples by 2 years.

Common Childhood Rashes & Illnesses

Condition	Key Features	Nursing Priority
Measles (Rubeola)	Koplik spots, 3 C's: Cough, Coryza, Conjunctivitis	Airborne precautions
Chickenpox	Vesicular rash "dewdrop on rose petal"	Airborne + contact precautions
Roseola (HHV-6)	High fever → rash AFTER fever breaks	Febrile seizure precautions
Kawasaki Disease	Fever >5 days, strawberry tongue, conjunctivitis	IVIG + aspirin, cardiac monitoring
Croup	Barking cough, steeple sign on X-ray	Cool mist, racemic epi

Maternal Health Cheat Sheets

Quick-reference for prenatal, labor & delivery, postpartum assessment, and high-risk conditions.

Stages of Labor

MUST-KNOW

Stage	Phase	Dilation	Duration
1st Stage	Latent	0-6 cm	~6-8 hrs (nullip)
	Active	6-8 cm	~3-6 hrs
	Transition	8-10 cm	~1-2 hrs
2nd Stage	Full dilation → delivery		Up to 2 hrs (nullip)
3rd Stage	Delivery → placenta		5-30 min
4th Stage	Recovery (1-2 hrs postpartum)		Monitor Q15 min

Mnemonic (4th stage): BUBBLE-HE = Breasts, Uterus, Bladder, Bowel, Lochia, Episiotomy, Homan's sign, Emotions

Fetal Heart Rate Patterns

CRITICAL

Pattern	Description	Action
Normal baseline	110-160 bpm	Continue monitoring
Early deceleration	Mirror contractions (head compression)	Reassuring — no intervention
Variable deceleration	Abrupt drops (cord compression)	Reposition, amnioinfusion
Late deceleration	After contraction peak (uteroplacental insuff.)	Left lateral, O2, stop Pitocin, notify MD
Absent variability	No fluctuation in baseline	Ominous — prepare for delivery

Mnemonic — VEAL CHOP: Variable=Cord, Early=Head, Accelerations=OK, Late=Placental insufficiency

Preeclampsia vs Eclampsia

Feature	Preeclampsia	Severe / Eclampsia
BP	≥140/90	≥160/110
Proteinuria	≥300 mg/24h	≥5g/24h
Symptoms	Edema, headache	Seizures, visual changes, epigastric pain
Labs	Mild elevation	HELLP syndrome: Hemolysis, Elevated Liver, Low Platelets
Treatment	Bed rest, monitoring	Magnesium sulfate, delivery

MgSO4 toxicity signs: Loss of deep tendon reflexes, RR <12, urine output <30 mL/hr. Antidote: Calcium gluconate

Postpartum Lochia Progression

Type	Color	Duration	Nursing Alert
Rubra	Dark red	Days 1-3	Bright red = hemorrhage risk
Serosa	Pink-brown	Days 4-10	Foul odor = infection
Alba	Yellow-white	Days 11-6 weeks	Return of rubra = subinvolution

Fundal height: Should descend ~1 fingerbreadth/day. Boggy uterus → massage, notify provider.

Dosage Calculations Cheat Sheets

Essential formulas, conversion tables, and IV drip rate calculations for nursing exams and clinical practice.

Core Dosage Formulas

MEMORIZE

Desired Over Have (Basic)

Dose = (D / H) x Q

IV Drip Rate (mL/hr)

Rate = Volume (mL) / Time (hr)

IV Drip Rate (gtt/min)

gtt/min = (Volume x Drop Factor) / (Time in min)

Weight-Based Dosing

Dose = Weight (kg) x Dose/kg

D = Desired, H = Have (on hand), Q = Quantity (form). Always double-check units!

Unit Conversions

From	To	Conversion
1 kg	Pounds	2.2 lbs
1 tsp	mL	5 mL
1 tbsp	mL	15 mL
1 oz	mL	30 mL
1 cup	mL	240 mL
1 L	mL	1,000 mL
1 gr (grain)	mg	60 mg
1 inch	cm	2.54 cm

lbs → kg: Divide by 2.2 | kg → lbs: Multiply by 2.2

IV Drop Factor Reference

CLINICAL

Tubing Type	Drop Factor (gtt/mL)	Common Use
Macrodrip	10 gtt/mL	Regular IV fluids
Macrodrip	15 gtt/mL	Regular IV fluids
Macrodrip	20 gtt/mL	Regular IV fluids
Microdrip	60 gtt/mL	Pediatrics, precise dosing

Shortcut: With 60 gtt/mL microdrip: gtt/min = mL/hr (they're the same number!)

Quick Practice Scenarios

Scenario	Setup	Answer
Order: 500 mg PO. Available: 250 mg/tab	500/250 x 1	2 tablets
1000 mL NS over 8 hours	1000 / 8	125 mL/hr
125 mL/hr, 15 gtt/mL tubing	(125 x 15) / 60	31 gtt/min
Child 22 lbs, dose 10 mg/kg	22/2.2 = 10 kg x 10	100 mg

Exam tip: Always convert lbs to kg FIRST. Round to nearest whole number for drops.

Medical-Surgical Cheat Sheets

Key lab values, electrolyte imbalances, priority nursing interventions, and assessment frameworks.

Critical Lab Values

MUST-KNOW

Lab	Normal Range	Critical Value
Potassium (K+)	3.5 – 5.0 mEq/L	<3.0 or >6.0
Sodium (Na+)	136 – 145 mEq/L	<120 or >160
Glucose	70 – 110 mg/dL	<50 or >400
Hemoglobin	M: 14-18, F: 12-16 g/dL	<7 g/dL
Platelets	150,000-400,000	<50,000 = bleeding risk
INR (on Warfarin)	2.0 – 3.0	>4.0 = bleeding risk
BUN	10-20 mg/dL	Elevated = renal
Creatinine	0.6-1.2 mg/dL	Elevated = renal

Electrolyte Imbalances