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Lab Values by Urgency — NCLEX Cheat Sheet

Grade it A, B, C or D before you act
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👤 By the CinnaRN Clinical Content Team 🕐 Updated 2026-08-31 🏷️ Reduction of Risk Potential 🔖 Free to read, print, and share
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Use this quick-reference guide to spot, treat, and prevent Lab Values by Urgency on the NCLEX. Keep it handy during review and on exam day!

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📒 The 1-minute cheat sheet

📌 The Four Grades

  • A — Abnormal: do nothing
  • B — concerned: assess and monitor
  • C — Critical: act, may leave the bedside
  • D — Deadly: act NOW, stay at the bedside

📌 The Deadly Ones

  • pH anywhere in the 6s
  • Potassium 6.0 or above
  • CO2 60+ or PO2 in the 60s
  • Platelets under 40,000

🧪 Common Ranges

  • Haemoglobin 12-18; under 8 is critical
  • Potassium 3.5-5.0
  • Sodium 135-145
  • pH 7.35-7.45
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Quick Tip

Focus on the highlighted numbers and the red-flag items — those are what the NCLEX tests most on lab values by urgency.

📖 Related Topics

Increased Intracranial PressureDeep Vein Thrombosis PreventionTesticular TorsionDiabetic Nephropathy
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