Adult Nursing
Study Guide
Medical-surgical nursing covers the largest portion of NCLEX-RN (adult health). Start with body systems you find most challenging.
Cardiovascular System
- heart-failure — HF pathophysiology & management
- myocardial-infarction — MI assessment & interventions
- hypertension — HTN classification & treatment
- coronary-artery-disease — CAD risk factors & management
- dysrhythmias — ECG interpretation basics
- peripheral-vascular-disease — PVD/PAD nursing care
Respiratory System
- pneumonia — Types, assessment, antibiotics
- copd — Emphysema vs chronic bronchitis
- asthma — Triggers, rescue vs maintenance meds
- pneumothorax — Chest tube management
- pulmonary-embolism — Risk factors, Virchow’s triad
Neurological System
- stroke — Ischemic vs hemorrhagic, tPA window
- seizures — Types, precautions, medications
- increased-icp — Signs, interventions, positioning
- traumatic-brain-injury — GCS, monitoring, nursing care
Endocrine System
- diabetes-mellitus — Type 1 vs Type 2, insulin management
- diabetic-ketoacidosis — DKA emergency management
- thyroid-disorders — Hypo vs hyperthyroidism
- adrenal-disorders — Cushing’s vs Addison’s
Gastrointestinal System
- peptic-ulcer-disease — H. pylori, NSAID-related
- inflammatory-bowel-disease — Crohn’s vs UC
- liver-cirrhosis — Portal hypertension, ascites
- bowel-obstruction — Small vs large bowel
Renal/Urinary System
- acute-kidney-injury — Prerenal, intrarenal, postrenal
- chronic-kidney-disease — Stages, dialysis
- urinary-tract-infection — Upper vs lower UTI
Musculoskeletal System
- fractures — Types, traction, cast care
- total-joint-replacement — Hip & knee arthroplasty
- osteoporosis — Risk factors, prevention
Hematologic/Immune System
- anemia — Types, iron deficiency, B12
- sickle-cell-disease — Crisis management
- leukemia — AML, ALL, CML, CLL
- hiv-aids — Opportunistic infections, ART
Cross-Cutting Themes
- pain-management — Assessment scales, pharmacology
- fluid-electrolyte-balance — IV fluids, imbalances
- perioperative-care — Pre/intra/post-op nursing
- infection-control — Standard & transmission-based precautions
- wound-care — Assessment, staging, treatment