Nursing mnemonics provide concise summaries of important clinical information. The document presents three mnemonics: DAD BOND CLASH summarizes the medical management of heart failure in 3 letters; AVPU measures a patient's level of consciousness on a 4-point scale; and SAMPLE is used to obtain a patient's health history by assessing Symptoms, Allergies, Medications, Past medical history, Last oral intake, and Events leading to illness or injury. Mnemonics help nurses accurately and quickly assess patients in different conditions and situations by systematizing important clinical steps and processes.

2. Nursing Mnemonics Tips
They say that the best nurses are excellent at obtaining assessment, and this is true! If
nurses would look at the nursing process, assessment is the first step. Gathering information
about the client will provide clues for what care you can give and what you can do. If you have a
weak foundation in assessment, the rest of the process follows. But with the many ways to
assess a patient, assessment has become an overwhelming process. To be more systematic,
here are nursing health assessment mnemonics and tips you can use to accurately and quickly
assess variety of patients in with different conditions and in various situations.
1. Management of Heart Failure: DAD BOND CLASH
Management of heart failureis to relieve patient symptoms, to improve functional status and
quality of life, and to extend survival. Medical management depends on the type, severity, and
cause of HF. It can include reducing the workload of the heart by reducing preload and
afterload; elimination of contributing factors such as hypertension. Remember the mnemonic
DAD BOND CLASH for the medical management of heart failure.
D: Digitalis
Increases the force of myocardial contraction and slows conduction through the
atrioventricular node; improves contractility, increasing left ventricular output, and enhances
diuresis.
A: ACE Inhibitors
Promotes vasodilation and diuresis by decreasing afterload and preload, ultimately decreasing
the workload of the heart.
D: Dobutamine
IV medication administered to patients with significant left ventricular dysfunction and
hypoperfusion; stimulates the beta-1-adrenergic receptors.

3. B: Beta-blockers
Reduces mortality and morbidity in HF by reducing the adverse effects from constant
stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system.
O: Oxygen - Oxygen may be necessary as HF progresses; need is based on the degree of
pulmonary congestion and resulting hypoxia.
N: Nitrates
Causes venous dilation, which reduces the amount of blood return to the heart and lowers
preload.
D: Diuretics
To remove excess extracellular fluid by increasing the rate of urine produced in patients with
fluid overload.
C: Calcium Channel Blockers
Causes vasodilation, reducing systemic vascular resistance.
L: Lifestyle Changes
Restriction of dietary sodium, avoidance of excess fluid intake, weight reduction, and regular
exercise.
A: Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers
ARBs block the effects of angiotensin II at its receptor; have similar hemodynamic effects as
of ACE inhibitors. Serves as alternative for for patients who cannot tolerate ACE inhibitors.
S: Sodium restriction
A low-sodium diet (2 to 3 g/day) diet and avoidance of drinking excess amounts of fluid is
recommended.
H: Hydralazine
Lowers systemic vascular resistance and left ventricular afterload.

4. 2. Level of Consciousness Assessment: AVPU
The AVPU scale is a system where you can measure and record a patient’s responsiveness to
indicate their level of consciousness. It is a simplification of the Glasgow Coma Scale, which
assesses a patient response in three measures: eyes, voice, and motor skills. The AVPU scale
should be assessed during these three identifiable traits, looking for the best response for each.
It has four possible outcomes for recording and the nurse should always work from best (A) to
worst (U) to avoid unnecessary tests on patients who are clearly conscious.
A: Alert
V: Response to Verbal Stimuli
P: Response to Pain
U: Unresponsive
3. Health History Assessment: SAMPLE
In general, do not obtain a detailed history until life-threatening injuries have been identified
and therapy has been initiated. The secondary survey is essentially a head-to-toe assessment of
progress, vital signs, etc. SAMPLE is often useful as a mnemonic for remembering key elements
of the patient’s health history.
S: Symptoms
A: Allergy
M: Medications
P: Past Medical History
L: Last Oral Intake
E: Events leading up to the illness or injury

5. As a nurse, you always need to have the right answers to a problem at the right time.
You are not allowed to make any mistakes, or the time to peruse through books seeking for
clarification. With so much to cram into your head, mastering disease conditions and their
treatment options is quite the challenge. Taking a different approach other than just trying to
remember the facts as they are would make the job simpler and more bearable.