Magnesium: Potassium’s Little Sister

Did you ever care for a patient with hypokalemia who despite multiple runs of KCl and countless mixes of Klor, the potassium level hardly moves? If so, check the patient’s magnesium level.

Why?

CLINICAL TIPS FOR NEW NURSES: MANAGING HYPERKALEMIA

One of my most popular clinical lectures is the one I do on fluid and electrolytes. You see fluid and electrolytes plays a role in EVERYTHING yet we often don’t spend a lot of time trying to understand them. And, I typically find that even experienced nurses truly don’t understand them.

So, I’ll be sharing some tips related to fluid and electrolytes that I believe EVERY new nurse needs to master to successfully care for patients. Because Potassium is one of the most “dangerous” electrolytes (we use potassium in “lethal injections”), we’re starting here.

CLINICAL NURSE TIP: SODIUM – A BIG DEAL FOR YOUR BRAIN!

Sodium is a very common electrolyte. But do we really understand this electrolyte, the role it plays in the body and how it impacts patient outcomes?

What’s the big deal?

TIPS FOR STUDENT NURSES: THE POWER OF ELECTROLYTES

Nurses sometime underestimate the power of electrolytes. Although we learn about electrolytes is nursing school, we typically don’t carve out a lot of time for them like we do with the cardiac or respiratory system. Yet electrolytes are involved in every single muscle contraction, digestive process, and brain impulse!!

Understanding the role of electrolytes can help you understand every body system and chemical reaction needed to survive. It can also help you anticipate and prevent patient complications and provide high quality care.

As a student or new nurse, you MUST master electrolytes!