Renal Nursing

Acute kidney injury guide for nurses — AKI definition, prerenal/intrarenal/postrenal causes, clinical manifestations, lab findings, FENa interpretation, treatment overview, nursing priorities, and NCLEX pearls.

Chronic kidney disease guide for nurses — CKD definition, causes, staging, clinical manifestations, complications, treatment overview, nursing considerations, and NCLEX pearls for renal nursing care.

Hemodialysis fundamentals for nurses — purpose of dialysis, hemodialysis process, vascular access types, complications, nursing responsibilities, pre/post dialysis assessment, and NCLEX pearls.

Fluid volume excess vs deficit guide for nurses — causes, assessment findings, laboratory findings, nursing interventions, monitoring priorities, and NCLEX pearls for hypervolemia and hypovolemia.

Glomerulonephritis nursing guide covering nephrotic vs nephritic syndrome, common subtypes, diagnostic labs such as RBC casts and complement, and nursing priorities.

Nephrotoxic medications nursing guide covering NSAIDs, aminoglycosides, contrast, vancomycin, and others, with mechanisms, monitoring, and AKI prevention strategies.

Kidney transplant nursing guide covering pre-transplant evaluation, rejection types, immunosuppression medications, infection risk management, and patient education.

UTI and urosepsis nursing guide covering UTI classification, urinalysis findings, urosepsis recognition, antibiotic selection, and the CAUTI prevention bundle.

Kidney stone types, severe colicky flank pain and hematuria, straining urine to catch the stone, aggressive hydration and pain control, lithotripsy, and dietary prevention.

The types of urinary incontinence (stress, urge, overflow, functional, mixed) and how to tell them apart, Kegel exercises and bladder training, medications, and a dignity-centered approach.

Acute vs chronic urinary retention, common causes, recognizing a distended bladder and overflow dribbling, bladder scan and catheterization, and post-obstructive diuresis.

Bladder cancer's hallmark painless gross hematuria, smoking and occupational risk, TURBT and intravesical BCG, radical cystectomy with urinary diversion, and urostomy stoma care.

AKI vs CKD comparison chart for nurses — onset, reversibility, kidney size, laboratory findings, and treatment priorities side-by-side for NCLEX and clinical nursing practice.

Renal lab values quick-reference chart for nurses — BUN, creatinine, eGFR, potassium, phosphorus, urine specific gravity with normal ranges, elevated causes, decreased causes, and clinical flags.

Fluid volume excess vs deficit comparison chart for nurses — assessment findings, laboratory values, nursing significance, and interventions side-by-side for hypervolemia and hypovolemia.

Dialysis comparison chart for nurses — hemodialysis vs peritoneal dialysis side-by-side: mechanism, access, frequency, advantages, limitations, and nursing considerations.

Prerenal vs intrarenal (ATN/GN) vs postrenal AKI compared by mechanism, urine output, BUN:Cr, FENa, urine casts, fluid response, and treatment, with NCLEX memory aids.

Nephrotic vs nephritic syndrome compared by proteinuria, hematuria, edema, complement, urine casts, classic examples, and treatment approach, with NCLEX memory aids.

CKD complications at a glance — anemia, renal osteodystrophy, hyperkalemia, metabolic acidosis, fluid overload, and cardiovascular disease — with mechanisms and management.

Nephrotoxic drugs — NSAIDs, aminoglycosides, contrast, ACE inhibitors/ARBs, vancomycin, cisplatin, and calcineurin inhibitors — compared by mechanism, risk factors, monitoring, and prevention.

Calcium (oxalate/phosphate), struvite (infection), uric acid, and cystine stones side by side: frequency, the urine pH each favors, radiopacity on x-ray, and the key prevention for each.

Stress, urge (overactive bladder), overflow, and functional incontinence side by side: the mechanism, the classic trigger or presentation, and the first-line nursing intervention for each.

The core problem (can't empty vs can't hold), bladder state, post-void residual, typical causes, the overflow-incontinence overlap, and the nursing priority for each.

The common causes of blood in the urine (UTI, kidney stones, bladder/kidney cancer, glomerulonephritis, BPH, trauma, anticoagulation), the clues that distinguish them, and why painless gross hematuria is the cancer red flag.