Clinical Nursing Skills and Techniques

The capillary refill test, also called capillary refill time (CRT) or nail blanch test, is a technique that nurses use to assess for peripheral perfusion or dehydration in patients. How is the Capillary Refill Test Performed? Nurses typically perform the capillary refill test by pressing on the nail plate or the pad of a digit […]

Oral liquid medication administration is one medication route that nurses use when administering medications to patients. In addition, nursing schools may require nursing students to perform a skills check-off on this technique. While you should always verify the specific protocols for your facility or nursing school before administering medications, these general tips can help you […]

The buccal route is a medication route that nurses can use to administer certain medications. Although this is not used as commonly as other medication routes, there are a few things to consider when giving a medication via the buccal route. What is the Buccal Route? What is the buccal route? The word buccal (pronounced […]

What is Chvostek’s Sign? Chvostek’s sign is a specific type of facial muscle twitching that occurs when cranial nerve VII (the facial nerve) is manually stimulated by tapping the finger over the masseter muscle of the jaw. A positive sign demonstrates hyper-excitability of the facial nerve. This is not to be confused with Trousseau’s sign […]

Trousseau’s sign of latent tetany is a clinical sign that nurses and other healthcare professionals use to assess whether a patient has an electrolyte imbalance known as hypocalcemia, though this sign can present during hypomagnesemia as well. You’ll likely hear Trousseau’s sign mentioned in nursing school or medical school, especially when studying fluid and electrolytes. […]

Missing a vein when trying to start an I.V. (or drawing blood) can be a very frustrating and embarrassing experience for nurses, phlebotomists, and other healthcare professionals. It can also be a painful and frustrating experience for the patient, too. Nevertheless, missing veins is an unfortunate reality that all nurses and healthcare professionals face, even […]

This review will cover how to discontinue a peripheral IV. Peripheral IVs are inserted in patients to help administer medications, blood products, and fluids. They are really an essential device used in the hospitalized patient. Peripheral IVs are removed or discontinued when they need to be changed (about every 3 days, depending on the hospital’s […]

Recapping a needle is extremely dangerous, and healthcare workers such as nurses should avoid recapping. Instead, needles should be disposed of in an appropriate sharps container, and healthcare workers should use needle safety devices when handling or disposing of sharps per their healthcare facility’s protocols. Some of the risks of a needle-stick injury include pain […]

Learn how to withdraw medication from a glass ampule! As a nurse you will encounter some medications that are supplied in a glass ampule, and you will need to know how to break open the glass ampule and withdraw the medication from it. Also check out how to withdraw medication from a vial. Demonstration on […]