What if you can’t find veins on a patient, yet you need to start an IV, draw blood, or perform other venipuncture procedures? This happens more often than you’d think, and even seasoned nurses struggle to find veins in patients who are obese, dehydrated, or suffering from advanced renal or heart disease. Luckily, there are […]
Clinical Nursing Skills and Techniques
Clinical nursing skills and techniques: Browse our article database below to find great tips and tutorials for a variety of nursing skills such as giving an injection, putting on sterile gloves, catheter insertion, and much more. These articles and included videos are written to help give practical advice and show common techniques to nursing students, as well as those interested in the nursing profession. These can be a great way to learn how common procedures are performed. If you would like to know more about nursing skills, visit our main nursing skills overview article. To view an individual skill, just browse the articles below.
Best Veins for IV Insertion and Blood Draws
In this article, I’m going to talk about the best veins for IV insertion and blood draws. Every nurse is different in what veins they love to use when drawing blood or starting IVs, but these are the ones I love. Video To be successful at drawing blood or starting IVs you must: Know your […]
How to Assess the Six Cardinal Fields of Gaze
Learn how to assess the six cardinal fields of gaze as a nurse. In nursing school, you will have to complete a nursing head-to-toe assessment and during this assessment you will have to assess the six cardinal fields of gaze. What is the purpose of assessing the six cardinal fields of gaze? It helps to […]
Visual Acuity Test with a Snellen Chart
Learn how to assess visual acuity using a Snellen chart as a nurse. In nursing school, you will have to complete a nursing head-to-toe assessment and during this assessment you may have to assess visual acuity using the Snellen chart. What cranial nerve is tested when assessing vision with a Snellen chart? Cranial nerve II […]
How to Remove Sutures
Learn how to remove surgical sutures (nursing): Sutures (also called stitches) are used to close wounds either from an injury of some type or a surgical procedure. There are various types of suture patterns used. The most common, which will be demonstrated in this article, is the simple interrupted suture. In addition, there are these […]
How to Remove Surgical Staples
As a nurse you will be removing surgical staples. This article will detail how to remove surgical staples in a patient after surgery. Why do patients have surgical staples? To close a wound of some type, which is most commonly a surgical site. While working on a post-op floor for vascular surgery patients, I encountered […]
How to Clean Dentures Nursing
Cleaning dentures is a basic nursing skill that you will be performing as a nurse. Many patients are very sick and are unable to get up out of bed and clean their dentures. Therefore, as the nurse you will have to do this. There are some things you want to consider when providing denture care, […]
Cranial Nerve Examination Nursing
During the head-to-toe nursing assessment, you will be assessing the cranial nerves. In this article, I want to break down how to assess cranial nerves I through XII (1-12) as a nurse. Why do we assess cranial nerves? In short, to see if the neuron/nerve works! Why wouldn’t a cranial nerve “work”? In many neuro […]
Intake and Output Calculation NCLEX Review
Intake and output calculation NCLEX review for nurses. This quick review will highlight how to calculate intake and output because these type of questions may be on your NCLEX exam or (definitely) on a nursing lecture exam. It seems like calculating I and O’s is self-explanatory, right?! Well, it can be tricky, especially calculating intake […]
Fear of Needles in Nursing (Belonephobia, Aichmophobia, or Trypanophobia)
In nursing, sticking patients with needles is a part of our job description. We have to stick patients to draw blood, start IVs, administer medications, and so forth. And everything is fine and dandy until you come across a patient with a needle phobia. Needle phobia, also called belonephobia, aichmophobia, or trypanophobia, can come in […]
Nitroglycerin Sublingual and Oral Spray Nursing Pharmacology and Administration Review
This article will be a pharmacology and administration review for sublingual and oral spray nitroglycerin. What is nitroglycerin used for? It used to relieve or prevent chest pain. It is part of the drug family of nitrates and because of this it causes vasodilation of blood vessels. This will lead to an increase in blood supply […]
Abdominal Assessment Nursing
This article will explain how to assess the abdomen as a nurse. This assessment is part of the nursing head-to-toe assessment you have to perform in nursing school and on the job. During the abdominal assessment you will be: Inspecting Auscultating Palpating/Percussing Video Demonstration on a Nursing Abdominal Assessment Abdomen: Switches to Inspection, Auscultation, Percussion, and […]
Upper and Lower Extremity Assessment
This article will explain how to assess the upper and lower extremities as a nurse. This assessment is part of the nursing head-to-toe assessment you have to perform in nursing school and on the job. During the extremity assessment you will be assessing the following structures: arms hands legs feet Video Demonstration on Upper and Lower […]
Chest Assessment Nursing (Heart and Lungs)
This article will explain how to assess the chest (heart and lungs) as a nurse. This assessment is part of the nursing head-to-toe assessment you have to perform in nursing school and on the job. During the chest assessment you will be assessing the following structures: Overall appearance of the chest Lung Sounds: includes abnormal lung […]
Head and Neck Assessment Nursing
This article will explain how to assess the head and neck as a nurse. This assessment is part of the nursing head-to-toe assessment you have to perform in nursing school and on the job. During the head and neck assessment you will be assessing the following structures: Head includes- face, hair, eyes, nose, mouth, ears, […]
How to Assess the Eyes (Nursing)
This article will explain how to perform an assessment of the eyes as a nurse. This assessment is part of the nursing head-to-toe assessment you have to perform in nursing school and on the job. The eye assessment includes: Inspection of the eyes for abnormalities Testing the cranial nerves responsible for eye function: III, IV, […]
Head-to-Toe Assessment Nursing
This article will explain how to conduct a nursing head-to-toe health assessment. This assessment is similar to what you will be required to perform in nursing school. As you gain experience, you will conduct the assessment in a way that works for you and will become faster overtime. Also depending on what specialty you are […]
Metered-Dose Inhaler Spacer Demonstration
This article will demonstrate how to use a spacer with a metered-dose inhaler (MDI). What is a metered-dose inhaler (MDI)? It’s an inhaler used to administer a set amount of medication into the lungs. Medications that are used include bronchodilators, corticosteroids etc. What is a spacer used with a metered-dose inhaler? A spacer is an […]
Metered-Dose Inhaler Demonstration: Open and Closed-Mouth Techniques
This article will demonstrate how to use a metered-dose inhaler by using either the open or closed-mouth technique. What is a metered-dose inhaler? It’s an inhaler used to administer a set amount of medication into the lungs. Medications that are used include bronchodilators, corticosteroids etc. When administering a MDI, it is important to teach the patient […]
Nitropaste Ointment Application
Learn about nitropaste ointment application. This article will provide detailed steps on how to administer nitroglycerin ointment as a nurse. This medication is typically prescribed for cardiac patients, and it’s sometimes called Nitrobid, Nitropaste, or Nitro ointment. What is Nitroglycerin ointment? It is a vasodilator, and it is used to prevent chest pain (angina) in […]
Apical Pulse Assessment and Location
Learn how to assess the apical pulse. This article will explain how to find the apical pulse location along with how to listen and palpate the apical pulse. As a nurse you will be assessing the apical pulse during a head-to-toe assessment and before administering medications like Digoxin. In an adult, a normal apical pulse […]
EKG 12 Lead Electrode Placement | RA, RL, LA, LL, V1, V2, V3, V4, V5 & V6
As a nursing student and new nurse, I had trouble remembering where to place electrodes (RA, RL, LA, LL, V1, V2, V3, V4, V5 & V6) on a patient for a 12 lead EKG. However, after much practice I have finally got it. In this article, I want to prepare you for how to place […]
Transdermal Patch Application & Removal (Fentanyl)
Learn how to apply and remove a transdermal patch. Transdermal patch application is easy, but as the nurse you must know how to properly remove and apply a patch. This tutorial will cover the application of a Fentanyl transdermal patch. What are transdermal patches? They are medicated sticky, adhesive patches wore on the skin. The […]
How to Don and Doff N-95 Mask (Respirator)
It is important a nurse knows how to properly don (put on) and doff (take off or remove) an N-95 mask. This article and video will demonstrate the proper technique for how to wear an N-95 mask. What is an N-95 mask? It is a special type of mask worn by nurses or other members […]
How to Read a Syringe
This article will explain how to read a syringe. As a nurse, it is very critical you understand how to properly read a syringe. There are many different types of syringes available for usage. The nurse will need to select the appropriate syringe size based on how much of a medication is ordered by the […]
Costovertebral Angle Tenderness Exam
Learn how to assess for costovertebral angle tenderness, also called CVA tenderness, in patients who are suspected of having a kidney infection. Assessing for CVA tenderness is quick and easy! The video and tutorial below will guide you in how to check for this tenderness. Who is at risk for costovertebral angle tenderness? Anyone who […]
How to Remove Gloves Safely
As a nurse, you’ll be putting on gloves many times per day. In this article and video, I’ll talk about a quick technique on how to properly remove gloves so that you can prevent contamination or contact with dangerous germs/pathogens found on the outside of the gloves. Don’t forget to check out how to put on sterile […]
How to Put on Sterile Gloves | Donning Sterile Gloves Clinical Nursing Skills
A clinical nursing skill nurses must learn is how to put on sterile gloves. So, why do nurses wear sterile gloves? Short answer: to protect our patients. The sterile gloving technique is used to protect patients in the hospital and clinical settings from the spread of diseases and germs, especially while performing delicate procedures that could introduce […]
Eye Drop Administration with Punctal Occlusion
Learn how to instill eye drops as a nurse and how to perform punctal occlusion for glaucoma medications. It may seem like instilling eye drops into a patient’s eye is self-explanatory, but there are some very important steps you must follow to do this skill correctly. It is important to keep in mind exactly where […]
Crushing Medications for Feeding Tube and Oral Administration
Learn how to crush medications for feeding tube or oral administration as a nurse. Why do we crush medications? If a patient has a feeding tube or can’t swallow medications whole due to swallowing difficulties, we must crush the medication. When crushing medications it is important to perform this skill correctly so the correct dose is administered. […]