Fluids and Electrolytes Effortless Memorization Tricks Pt 4
Are you stressing about fluids and electrolytes on your upcoming comprehensive exams, or your finals, or your HESI, or even your ATI?
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The student who posted the question did horribly on her previous exam. Now, she wanted to know if there are any helpful tips in memorizing fluids and electrolytes, also some hyper and hypo signs and symptoms.
Mike has the answer for you.
The Check-in and Check-out Method
If you’re the type of person who basically memorizes values for ABGs, coagulation panel, blood values, and most importantly, your electrolytes, then this method would definitely come in handy.
When defining the method, it has to be divided into two: the check-in and the check-out, respectively.
Checking in
Before you start studying, write out a chart – whether an ABG chart, or a laboratory value chart, or a coagulation panel chart. Whatever values that you need to memorize, it is recommended that you write them down at least 10 times before studying. That is the check-in method.
Checking out
At the end of a gruesome day of studying, you do the check-out method by writing the values, again, for 10 times.
When combined, you are writing down the values 20 times a day. If your exams are in a week or so, you’ve written these values at least a hundred times. This technically means that when the times comes that you have to take your exam, you have mastered the chart and can recreate it in a blank sheet of paper even with your eyes shut.
This method is what Mike did with his exams and it worked wonderfully for him.
The chart format
Now that you know what the method is, it is apt to share with you the format of the chart that would work best with the check-in-check-out method, specifically made up of fluids and electrolytes. This is applicable for all test questions whether it’s in renal or orthopedic or geriatric care, it doesn’t matter what subject it is.
At SimpleNursing.com, there’s a 30-minute video elaborately discussing and breaking down fluids and electrolytes. This, however, is a separate course. Our topic for today is simply for memorization purposes.
On this chart, there are three columns. Under your first column would be the six electrolytes with their normal values namely, sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, and chloride. The first four mentioned are the most important.
The second column will be for the hyper signs and symptoms. Write down the top three signs and symptoms of the values if hyper is involved. For example, with hypernatremia, jot down its top three, most significant signs and symptoms.
The third column is for your hypo signs and symptoms. Extract the top three hypo manifestations and write them down along the appropriate electrolyte value.
That would apply to all the remaining electrolyte values. By doing so, it would be less stressful and confusing on your part. This is much better than memorizing every single sign and symptom written in the book.
For a better understanding of what the chart looks like, here’s a visual representation.
| Values | Hyper | Hypo |
| Sodium (Na+) | 1.
2. 3. | 1.
2. 3. |
| Potassium (K+) | 1.
2. 3. | 1.
2. 3. |
| Magnesium (Mg) | 1.
2. 3. | 1.
2. 3. |
| Calcium (Ca) | 1.
2. 3. | 1.
2. 3. |
| Phosphorus (Ph) | 1.
2. 3. | 1.
2. 3. |
| Chloride (Cl–) | 1.
2. 3. | 1.
2. 3. |
Make your life 100% easier with this study technique that is tried and tested by Mike along with his classmates. Stop beating yourself up with the hyper and hypo confusion.
And this does not end here.
Sarah Smith of Illinois, one of the members of our Facebook forum, has personally created a complete list of not only the signs and symptoms of fluid and electrolyte imbalance but also the risk factors and the suitable nursing interventions. It’s a nine-page study material about fluids and electrolytes, summarized and simplified for your convenience. You can download that from the SimpleNursing.com’s Facebook page. Also, don’t forget to thank her.
For a quick recap, here are the things that you need to do in order to memorize, by heart, your fluids and electrolytes.
- Create a chart, follow the format.
- Write down the values opposite the electrolytes.
- Note down the top three hyper and hypo manifestations.
- Check-in 10 times before studying.
- Check-out 10 times after studying.
And don’t forget to join SimpleNursing.com’s Facebook page. You are guaranteed 100% that it would benefit your nursing study habits and improve your connectivity with thousands of its members.
