2025 NCLEX Crash Course Notes | High-Yield Study Guide & Test-Taking Strategies

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These 2025 NCLEX Crash Course Notes are packed with high-yield content to help you study smarter, not harder! Designed for nursing students who need quick, concise, and effective review material, this guide focuses on must-know topics that the NCLEX LOVES to test. This is the notes that you can follow along with the 45 mins free crash course we posted on Youtube! 

📝 What's Inside? (Table of Contents) 

1️⃣ Intro & Test-Taking Tips
✅ How to Think Like a Nurse – Critical thinking & safety-first approach
✅ NCLEX Test-Taking Strategies – Eliminate wrong answers, SATA tricks, first instinct rule
✅ Prioritization: ABCs First – Airway, Breathing, Circulation (ABCs), Maslow’s Hierarchy

2️⃣ Prioritization & Delegation (🔥MOST TESTED)
✅ Who to See First? – Stable vs. Unstable patients
✅ What LPNs & UAPs CAN’T Do – Never Delegate What You Can E.A.T. (Evaluate, Assess, Teach)
✅ Who to Discharge First? – Safe discharge criteria

3️⃣ Safety & Infection Control
✅ PPE Donning & Doffing (NCLEX LOVES THIS!) – Correct order & mnemonics
✅ Isolation Precautions – Airborne, Droplet, Contact (My Chicken Hez TB, SPIDERMAN, MRS WEE)
✅ Common Infections & Their PPE Requirements

4️⃣ Pharmacology (FAST, HIGH-YIELD)
✅ Toxic Drug Levels & Black Box Warnings – Digoxin, Lithium, Phenytoin, Theophylline, etc.
✅ Antidotes & Reversal Agents – Warfarin = Vitamin K, Opioids = Naloxone, Heparin = Protamine
✅ Mnemonic: "ABCD for Beta Blockers" – Asthma, Bradycardia, CHF, Diabetes

5️⃣ Medication Calculations 🧮
✅ Basic Dosage Formula (D/H x Q = X) – Simple, step-by-step guide
✅ IV Flow Rate (mL/hr & gtt/min) & Infusion Drop Rate
✅ Weight-Based Dosages (mg/kg)

6️⃣ Restraints & Crutches 🩼
✅ When to Use Restraints & Safe Alternatives – Rules, bed frame tying, checking Q2H
✅ Crutches & Mobility Aids – Proper fit, 2-point, 3-point, 4-point gait patterns
✅ Using Stairs with Crutches Mnemonic – "Up with the Good, Down with the Bad"

7️⃣ Lab Values & ABGs 🩸
✅ Electrolytes & Blood Labs – Na, K, Ca, Mg, Cl, etc.
✅ ABG Interpretation (ROME Rule) – Respiratory Opposite, Metabolic Equal
✅ CBC & Coagulation Labs (PT, INR, aPTT, Fibrinogen)
✅ Cardiac Biomarkers & Peak/Trough Antibiotic Levels

8️⃣ Maternity & Newborn
✅ Fetal Heart Rate (VEAL CHOP Mnemonic) – Variable, Early, Accelerations, Late Decels
✅ Stages of Labor (1-4) & When to Intervene
✅ Postpartum Hemorrhage (PPH) & Fundal Assessment

9️⃣ Med-Surg (HIGH-YIELD DISEASES) 
✅ Heart Failure Mnemonic (L = Lungs, R = Rest of Body) – Left vs. Right-Sided HF
✅ Stroke (FAST Mnemonic) & Treatment – Ischemic vs. Hemorrhagic, tPA criteria
✅ Diabetes (DKA vs. HHS) – Ketones, metabolic acidosis, Kussmaul breathing

🔟 Psych (Mental Health & Therapeutic Communication) 🧠
✅ Therapeutic vs. Non-Therapeutic Responses – What to say & what NOT to say
✅ Schizophrenia & Hallucination Management – How to respond safely
✅ Common Psych Conditions & Crisis Interventions

⏳ Final NCLEX Test-Taking Tips  
✅ SATA Question Strategy – Treat each answer as True/False
✅ Eliminate Extreme Answers – NEVER, ALWAYS, ONLY = usually wrong
✅ First Instinct Rule – Your gut answer is usually right! 

📌 Why You'll Love This Study Guide: 
✔ Concise & High-Yield – No fluff, just essential content.
✔ Easy-to-Read Format – Bullet points, mnemonics, & quick-reference tables.
✔ Instant Download – Study anytime, anywhere!
✔ Perfect for Last-Minute Review – Covers the most frequently tested NCLEX topics!

🎯 Pass Your NCLEX with Confidence! 🎯
This guide helps you focus on critical thinking, prioritization, and patient safety—the key to passing the NCLEX. Get ready to think like a nurse and ace your exam!

📩 Instant Digital Download – Start Studying Now!