👤 By the CinnaRN Clinical Content Team🕐 Updated 2026-08-23🏷️ Basic Care & Comfort🔖 Free to read, print, and share
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Use this quick-reference guide to spot, treat, and prevent Canes, Walkers & Crutches on the NCLEX. Keep it handy during review and on exam day!
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📒 The 1-minute cheat sheet
📌 Cane
Hold on the STRONG side
Advance with the WEAK leg (COAL)
📌 Crutches
Pads 2 fingers below axilla
Weight on hands, never armpit
📌 Stairs
Up with the good leg first
Down with the bad leg first
📚 Canes, Walkers & Crutches — full study notes
The cheat sheet above is your quick recall card. These notes go deeper — what it is, what to do first, what must be reported, and what to teach.
Ambulatory aids improve stability and offload a weak or injured limb. Correct technique prevents falls: the device and the strong side lead correctly depending on the situation.
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Key points
Understand these first
Hold on the STRONG side
Advance with the WEAK leg (COAL)
Pads 2 fingers below axilla
Weight on hands, never armpit
Up with the good leg first
Down with the bad leg first
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Nursing priorities
What to do, in order
Ensure proper fit — elbow flexed ~15–30°; crutch pads 2 finger-widths below the axilla.
Weight rests on the hands, never the axilla.
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Red flags — report now
Escalate immediately
Never let crutch weight rest in the armpit — it causes brachial plexus (crutch) palsy.
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Patient teaching
What patients must know
Cane goes on the STRONG side and advances with the weak leg (COAL: Cane Opposite Affected Leg).
Stairs: up with the good leg first, down with the bad leg first ('up with good, down with bad').
❓ Canes, Walkers & Crutches: NCLEX FAQs
What are the priority nursing interventions for Canes, Walkers & Crutches?
Ensure proper fit — elbow flexed ~15–30°; crutch pads 2 finger-widths below the axilla. Weight rests on the hands, never the axilla.
What are the warning signs of Canes, Walkers & Crutches a nurse must report?
Never let crutch weight rest in the armpit — it causes brachial plexus (crutch) palsy.
What do I need to know about Canes, Walkers & Crutches for the NCLEX?
Hold on the STRONG side. Advance with the WEAK leg (COAL). Pads 2 fingers below axilla. Weight on hands, never armpit.
What patient teaching is important for Canes, Walkers & Crutches?
Cane goes on the STRONG side and advances with the weak leg (COAL: Cane Opposite Affected Leg). Stairs: up with the good leg first, down with the bad leg first ('up with good, down with bad').