Gastrointestinal Nursing

Comprehensive GI assessment guide for nurses — abdominal inspection, auscultation, percussion, palpation, bowel sounds, red flag findings, documentation, and NCLEX pearls.

Upper GI bleeding guide for nurses — common causes, hematemesis, melena, assessment findings, hemodynamic instability, treatment overview, nursing priorities, and NCLEX pearls.

Lower GI bleeding guide for nurses — common causes, hematochezia, assessment findings, diagnostic workup, treatment overview, nursing priorities, and NCLEX pearls.

Cirrhosis and portal hypertension guide for nurses — pathophysiology, ascites, esophageal varices, hepatic encephalopathy, laboratory findings, treatment overview, and nursing priorities.

Acute pancreatitis nursing care: autodigestion, gallstones and alcohol as top causes, epigastric pain boring to the back, lipase, Cullen's and Grey Turner's signs, hypocalcemia, and pain-fluids-rest priorities.

Cholecystitis and cholelithiasis nursing care: the 5 F's risk profile, RUQ pain after fatty meals, Murphy's sign, obstruction signs, lap chole and T-tube care, and low-fat teaching.

McBurney's point, Rovsing's, psoas and obturator signs, rebound tenderness, the sudden pain relief that signals rupture, the no-heat/no-laxatives rule, peritonitis recognition, and post-appendectomy care.

Bowel obstruction nursing care: mechanical vs functional (paralytic ileus), small- vs large-bowel patterns, adhesions and hernias, the obstipation-distension-vomiting picture, NG decompression, and recognizing strangulation.

Upper vs lower GI bleeding comparison chart — anatomical source, stool findings, vomiting, BUN:Cr ratio, common causes, diagnostic tests, pharmacologic and endoscopic treatment, and nursing priorities.

Liver lab values chart for nurses — AST, ALT, ALP, GGT, bilirubin (total/direct/indirect), albumin, INR, ammonia, platelets with normal ranges, elevated/decreased causes, and clinical interpretation flags.

Ostomy comparison chart for nurses — colostomy, ileostomy, urostomy side by side: anatomical source, location, output character, skin risk, pouch type, diet, and key nursing considerations.

Hepatic encephalopathy staging chart — West Haven Criteria Grades 0 through 4 with mental status, neurological findings, and stage-specific nursing priorities.

NG (Levin, Salem sump), small-bore ND/NJ, PEG, and PEJ tubes compared by placement, duration, best use, feeding method, and the key nursing consideration for each.

RUQ, epigastric, LUQ, RLQ, LLQ, and periumbilical pain mapped to the likely conditions and their hallmark signs — a fast bedside differential for the acute abdomen.

Small-bowel vs large-bowel obstruction by onset, vomiting, distension, pain, obstipation, common causes, and the acid-base/electrolyte pattern — telling SBO from LBO at the bedside.

Pain location and radiation, hallmark signs (Murphy's vs Cullen's/Grey Turner's), key labs (alk phos/bilirubin vs lipase), causes, diet, and complications for the two upper-abdominal emergencies that share a gallstone link.

Appendicitis vs diverticulitis by pain location (RLQ vs LLQ), typical age, hallmark signs, diet/management, and complications — two inflammatory conditions that mirror each other on opposite sides.