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Explore every episode of the podcast Blue Cue: NCLEX-RN Stories That Stick

Dive into the complete episode list for Blue Cue: NCLEX-RN Stories That Stick. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.

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1–17 of 17

TitlePub. DateDuration
Episode 16: Anaphylaxis: The Rash Trap — Rapid-Fire Review11 Oct 202600:26:53

No hives, but a changing voice and falling pressure. Would you wait? Nora walks through three fictional adult cases with slow, friendly teaching, simple analogies, chapter previews and repeated take-home cues. Learn recognition, epinephrine first, dose-and-route safety, positioning, reassessment, adjunct limits, observation and device teach-back. Eight pause-and-answer checks help the lesson stick. Recaps Episode 15 and previews a planned acute kidney injury review.

  • No rash does not rule out anaphylaxis; assess the exposure and airway, breathing and circulation urgently.
  • IM epinephrine is first-line in the usual initial pathway; verify dose, concentration, route and timing, and do not substitute antihistamines.
  • Bring help to the patient, reassess after treatment and follow the observation and device-training plan.

Chapters

00:00 No rash. Still an emergency.

00:57 Our plan: notice, act, reassess

02:45 Chapter one: the skin is only one clue

05:27 Chapter two: why epinephrine gets the first move

08:00 Chapter three: dose, concentration, route, time

11:00 Chapter four: do not walk the patient to help

13:37 Chapter five: first dose does not mean finished care

16:16 Chapter six: the itch can wait its turn

18:16 Chapter seven: better is a reassessment point

20:24 Chapter eight: a plan the patient can actually use

22:53 Eight decisions: pause, choose, hear the cue

25:25 Three cues, and what comes next

Primary sources checked 11 October 2026; current orders, emergency protocols, device instructions and scope apply.

Independent educational content; not affiliated with or endorsed by NCSBN. NCLEX-RN is a registered trademark of NCSBN. Fictional teaching cases and host persona; licensed stock synthetic narration. Use alongside nursing education and current official exam resources. No individual medical advice or exam-result guarantee.

Previous: Episode 15, HHS. Next planned: acute kidney injury; not yet released.

All platforms: https://linktr.ee/BlueCueNCLEXRN. Corrections: ted.lownie@dal.ca

Episode 15: HHS: The Glucose Trap — Rapid-Fire Review11 Oct 202600:25:13

Glucose falls from 900 to 230—but the patient is still confused. Has the crisis really ended? Nora follows three original adult cases through HHS, DKA overlap, hyperosmolality, fluid correction, potassium safeguards, insulin and dextrose, recovery criteria, transition overlap and SGLT2-related ketoacidosis. Eight rapid decisions connect the laboratory pattern to the safest nursing response.

  • Assess the whole hyperosmolar emergency: severe hyperglycemia, dehydration, osmolality, cognition and the precipitating illness.
  • Correct the crisis carefully: individualize fluids, track osmotic trends, review potassium before insulin and distinguish uncomplicated HHS from DKA overlap.
  • Glucose improvement alone does not establish recovery; check the full resolution cluster, safe insulin transition and an achievable sick-day plan.

Chapters

00:00 The glucose looks better

00:39 Episode fifteen: the hyperosmolar emergency

01:59 Rosa: water lost before the emergency is named

03:52 HHS and DKA: similar danger, different dominant mechanism

05:43 Four HHS criteria, three DKA components

08:11 The calculation that protects the brain

10:08 Perfusion first, controlled correction throughout

12:58 The overlap case changes the branch

15:18 Dextrose can help insulin finish its job

17:34 The screen is better, the emergency is unfinished

19:46 Jan: ketoacidosis without spectacular glucose

21:59 Eight rapid decisions

24:14 Follow the patient, not the victory number

Primary sources checked 11 October 2026. Adult scope; current orders, local emergency protocols and the individual diabetes plan control.

Adapted from Umpierrez et al. (2024), Diabetologia, doi:10.1007/s00125-024-06183-8, CC BY 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. Original scenarios and teaching structure added; no figures reproduced.

Independent educational content; not affiliated with or endorsed by NCSBN. NCLEX-RN is a registered trademark of NCSBN. Fictional teaching cases and host persona; licensed stock synthetic narration. Use alongside nursing education and current official exam resources. No individual medical advice or exam-result guarantee.

Corrections: ted.lownie@dal.ca

Episode 14: Thyroid Emergencies: Hot, Cold, and Crashing — Rapid-Fire Review11 Oct 202600:22:50

One patient is burning hot and racing; another is cold, slow and barely breathing. Nora connects three original adult cases with thyroid storm, myxedema coma, hormone feedback, medication sequencing, beta-blocker cautions, agranulocytosis, replacement routes and eight rapid recall checks. Learn the bedside clues that turn a thyroid history into an urgent nursing priority.

  • Escalate failing vital functions; thyroid hormone levels alone do not establish storm, and myxedema coma need not begin with coma.
  • Understand treatment targets and verify sequencing: ATA iodide timing differs from Japanese guidance; IV glucocorticoid coverage precedes IV levothyroxine in myxedema coma.
  • Fever or severe sore throat on antithyroid therapy needs urgent evaluation; assess ventilation, perfusion and response throughout emergency care.

Chapters

00:00 Two rooms, two thyroid emergencies

01:00 Your rapid-fire thyroid map

02:06 Hormones, feedback and the lab trap

04:21 The hot patient: recognize the storm

06:16 First minutes: support the patient and the team

07:54 Storm medicines: target, sequence and exceptions

10:30 Fever on methimazole: a different emergency clue

12:19 The cold patient: coma is not required

14:10 Breathing first, not just an oxygen number

16:07 Cold-crisis treatment: route and steroid order

18:02 Prevention: the plan must survive real life

19:38 Eight rapid-fire checks with the why

22:02 The thyroid cue that sticks

Primary sources checked 11 October 2026. Adult scope; current orders, local emergency protocols and the individual endocrine plan control.

Independent educational content; not affiliated with or endorsed by NCSBN. NCLEX-RN is a registered trademark of NCSBN. Fictional teaching cases and host persona; licensed stock synthetic narration. Use alongside nursing education and current official exam resources. No individual medical advice or exam-result guarantee.

Corrections: ted.lownie@dal.ca

Episode 13: Adrenal Crisis: The Steroid Trap — Rapid-Fire Review11 Oct 202600:24:47

Normal potassium. No skin darkening. Still a life-threatening cortisol emergency? Nora connects four original adult cases with primary versus steroid-induced adrenal insufficiency, urgent hydrocortisone, fluids and glucose, safer taper reasoning, sick-day routes, emergency kits and eight rapid retrieval checks. A focused review of the nursing decisions that prevent dangerous delays.

  • Normal potassium and absent pigmentation do not exclude steroid-induced adrenal crisis.
  • Suspected adult crisis needs prompt protocol-directed parenteral hydrocortisone and resuscitation; diagnostic tests must not delay treatment.
  • Persistent vomiting changes the medication route and urgency; prevention requires a usable sick-day plan, kit, medical identification and teach-back.

Chapters

00:00 Normal potassium, dangerous shock

00:59 Cortisol connects the clues

01:52 Two hormones, two jobs

03:48 The slow story and the sudden crash

05:11 Vomiting makes the route matter

06:52 The adult one-hundred, then two-hundred framework

08:42 Response is more than one improved number

10:28 The steroid history beats the missing classic clue

11:48 Not every steroid course needs a taper

13:43 Stable testing is a different situation

16:01 Replacement and stress dosing are different jobs

17:43 More stress means a plan, not a guess

19:39 Teach-back that can survive a real emergency

21:16 Eight fast decisions

23:36 Risk, route, response

Primary sources checked 11 October 2026. Adult scope; current orders, local emergency protocols and the individual endocrine plan control.

Independent educational content; not affiliated with or endorsed by NCSBN. NCLEX-RN is a registered trademark of NCSBN. Fictional teaching cases and host persona; licensed stock synthetic narration. Use alongside nursing education and current official exam resources. No individual medical advice or exam-result guarantee.

Corrections: ted.lownie@dal.ca

Episode 12: Stroke: The Last-Known-Well Trap — Rapid-Fire Review10 Oct 202600:21:49

Discovery is not always onset—and an uncertain clock does not mean treatment is impossible. Nora connects six original adult stroke cases with recognition, glucose look-alikes, imaging, thrombolysis versus thrombectomy, treatment-specific blood pressure, post-treatment danger signs, aspirin timing, swallowing safety and communication. A rapid-fire review grounded in the 2026 AHA/ASA guideline and Canadian Stroke Best Practices.

  • Report last known well and discovery separately; activate the stroke pathway even when onset is uncertain or symptoms resolve.
  • Connect imaging, glucose, disabling deficits and the actual treatment stage to safer decisions; avoid universal time-window or BP shortcuts.
  • Recognise post-thrombolysis deterioration and protect swallowing and communication before routine oral care tasks become hazards.

Chapters

00:00 Two clocks, one emergency

00:58 The nursing decisions that preserve options

01:53 More than a crooked smile

03:17 Discovery is not always onset

04:45 Work in parallel, not in a queue

06:25 The glucose look-alike

07:58 Two treatments, different eligibility

09:48 A small score can hide a big disability

11:16 The number needs its treatment context

12:39 Deterioration after clot treatment

14:14 The familiar pill can be the wrong next step

15:31 A clear sentence is not a swallow screen

17:09 The person is still part of the conversation

18:29 Gone is not cleared

20:05 Twelve cues to keep

Primary sources checked 9 October2026. Adult scope; current stroke pathways and orders control.

Independent educational content; not affiliated with or endorsed by NCSBN. NCLEX-RN is a registered trademark of NCSBN. Fictional teaching cases and host persona; licensed stock synthetic narration. Use alongside nursing education and current official exam resources. No individual medical advice or exam-result guarantee.

Corrections: ted.lownie@dal.ca

Episode 11: Asthma: The Silent Chest Trap — Rapid-Fire Review09 Oct 202600:19:05

When an asthma patient gets quieter, are they improving—or moving less air? Nora connects six original adult cases with a rapid-fire review of attack severity, rescue versus controller medicines, the ICS-formoterol exception, adverse effects, device technique and personal-best peak-flow math. Learn to explain the cue that changes urgency and reassess after acting.

  • Interpret less wheezing alongside air entry, speech, effort and mental state; a deteriorating silent chest demands emergency help.
  • Match medicine roles and technique to the actual prescribed inhaler, including selected ICS-formoterol maintenance-and-relief plans.
  • Calculate peak flow as a percentage of personal best and use the written action plan without letting a zone override danger signs.

Chapters

00:00 When the wheeze goes quiet

00:52 One topic, six decisions

01:39 Why breathing out becomes hard

02:51 Quiet does not equal safe

04:08 Read the whole breathing picture

05:26 Different medicines, different jobs

06:49 The steroid is not the rescue inhaler

08:12 Relief still needs monitoring

09:31 The combination-inhaler exception

10:59 A medicine cannot help from the wrong place

12:27 The inhaler has medicine, but does it reach the lungs?

13:30 The personal-best math

14:42 Forty percent means act

15:57 The plan after the breathing improves

17:32 Ten facts to carry into the next question

Primary sources checked 9 October 2026. Adult scope; current local protocols, training and device instructions control.

Independent educational content; not affiliated with or endorsed by NCSBN. NCLEX-RN is a registered trademark of NCSBN. Fictional teaching cases and host persona; licensed stock synthetic narration. Use alongside nursing education and current official exam resources. No individual medical advice or exam-result guarantee.

Corrections: ted.lownie@dal.ca

Episode 10: Cardiac Rhythms: The Pulse Changes Everything — Rapid-Fire Review09 Oct 202600:18:20

The same alarming rhythm can lead to very different actions. Nora delivers a rapid-fire adult NCLEX-RN cardiac-rhythm review with six original cases: monitor artifact, ventricular tachycardia with and without a pulse, symptomatic bradycardia, heart block, atrial fibrillation and pacing capture. Practise strip arithmetic, distinguish defibrillation from synchronized cardioversion, avoid the adenosine and torsades traps, and test yourself in a final recall round. Current AHA 2025 algorithms and primary source notes accompany the episode.

  • Determine pulse and perfusion before choosing a rhythm response; VF/pulseless VT are shockable, while PEA/asystole are not.
  • Unstable monomorphic tachycardia with a pulse usually requires synchronized cardioversion; sustained polymorphic VT requires unsynchronized shock.
  • Recognize high-grade AV blocks, verify mechanical pacing capture, and distinguish AF rate/rhythm control from stroke prevention.

Chapters

00:00 Same rhythm, different emergency

00:34 Pulse, perfusion, pattern

01:21 The electrical message and the actual pump

02:49 Six questions for a rhythm strip

04:17 Stable does not mean safe forever

05:22 The pulse changes the ventricular-tachycardia pathway

06:47 Shockable and nonshockable are different branches

08:27 Synchronize what can be synchronized

10:09 The adenosine eligibility trap

11:22 Bradycardia is about circulation

12:37 Follow the relationship, not a rhyme

13:58 Rate control is not stroke prevention

15:20 A spike is not a pulse

16:19 Rapid-fire decision round

17:47 Make the strip earn its meaning

Primary sources checked 9 October 2026. Adult scope; current local protocols, training and device instructions control.

Independent educational content; not affiliated with or endorsed by NCSBN. NCLEX-RN is a registered trademark of NCSBN. Fictional teaching cases and host persona; licensed stock synthetic narration. Use alongside nursing education and current official exam resources. No individual medical advice or exam-result guarantee.

Corrections: ted.lownie@dal.ca

Episode 9: Chest Tubes: The Bubbling Trap — Rapid-Fire Review08 Oct 202600:15:49

No bubbles. Worse breathing. Is the lung healed—or is the chest tube blocked? Nora delivers a rapid-fire adult NCLEX-RN chest-tube review with six original cases: continuous bubbling, absent tidaling, transport, disconnection, dislodgement and symptomatic rapid fluid drainage. Decode water seals versus suction chambers, trace the drainage pathway, practise output arithmetic and recognize clamping traps. Primary guidance and device-specific exceptions accompany the episode.

  • Interpret bubbling and tidaling by chamber, device, indication and patient condition; absent movement does not prove recovery.
  • Keep drainage functioning: upright unit below the chest, secure connections and unobstructed tubing; avoid routine transport clamping.
  • Distinguish disconnection, dislodgement and symptomatic fluid drainage; summon help, support ABCs and follow the applicable emergency procedure.

Chapters

00:00 The bubbling trap

00:33 Patient, purpose, pathway

01:30 What the drain is doing

02:42 Which chamber is bubbling?

04:00 A quiet chamber needs a clinical explanation

05:17 Follow the pathway without losing the patient

06:31 A prescription is not a wall dial

07:38 The transport trap

08:54 The tube is still in the patient

10:16 The tube is out of the chest

11:30 Drainage is a trend, not a single number

12:46 Too fast can be dangerous too

14:19 Rapid-fire recall and the final cue

Primary research checked 8 October 2026. Adult scope; device instructions, orders and local emergency procedures control.

Independent educational content; not affiliated with or endorsed by NCSBN. NCLEX-RN is a registered trademark of NCSBN. Fictional teaching cases and host persona; licensed stock synthetic narration. Use alongside nursing education and current official exam resources. No individual medical advice or exam-result guarantee.

Corrections: ted.lownie@dal.ca

Episode 8: Magnesium: The Reflex Trap — Preeclampsia Rapid-Fire08 Oct 202600:18:26

Better blood pressure. Missing reflexes. Breathing eight times a minute. Would you catch the magnesium trap? Nora delivers a rapid-fire maternal NCLEX-RN review with six original cases: preeclampsia without proteinuria, severe blood pressure timing, HELLP, magnesium monitoring and toxicity, calcium antidote safety, seizure response and postpartum warning signs. Practise the pressure–seizure–breathing distinction, pump arithmetic and clinical reassessment. Primary sources and protocol nuances accompany the episode.

In this episode:

  • Severe systolic OR diastolic pressure needs prompt escalation; negative urine protein does not exclude preeclampsia with qualifying organ injury.
  • Magnesium addresses seizures; monitor breathing, reflexes, urine and consciousness, and stop for suspected significant toxicity while summoning urgent help.
  • Support ventilation and prepare the ordered calcium antidote; postpartum warning signs need urgent evaluation even after a normal pregnancy.

Chapters

00:00 The reflex trap

00:39 Three problems, three priorities

01:53 Preeclampsia without the stereotype

03:18 The severe blood pressure clock

04:39 Brain, lungs, liver, kidneys, platelets

05:59 HELLP is an organ injury clue

07:22 What magnesium does, and does not do

08:50 Breathing, reflexes, urine

10:18 Stop, summon help, support breathing

11:50 Units, pumps, and the lab trap

13:26 The seizure response

14:48 Birth does not switch off the risk

16:15 The rapid-fire retrieval round

17:46 Keep the distinction

Primary sources (checked 8 October 2026)

Independent educational content; not affiliated with or endorsed by NCSBN. NCLEX-RN is a registered trademark of NCSBN. Fictional teaching cases and host persona; licensed stock synthetic narration. Use alongside nursing education and current official exam resources. No individual medical advice or exam-result guarantee.

Corrections: ted.lownie@dal.ca

Episode 7: Sepsis: The Fever Trap — Rapid-Fire Review08 Oct 202600:18:33

No fever. New confusion. Falling pressure. Would you catch the emergency? Nora delivers a rapid-fire adult NCLEX-RN sepsis review with six original cases: infection plus organ dysfunction, misleading screening scores, cultures, 2026 antibiotic timing, lactate, individualized fluids, norepinephrine, MAP targets, source control and recovery. Practise recognizing the changing patient and evaluating whether treatment worked. Current primary guidance and local-protocol nuances accompany the episode.

In this episode:

  • Suspected infection with new organ dysfunction needs urgent assessment even without fever or a positive screening score.
  • Match antibiotic urgency to shock and infection likelihood; obtain cultures promptly without avoidable treatment delays.
  • Reassess perfusion and fluid tolerance throughout treatment; a better pressure or lactate alone does not mean recovery.

Chapters

00:00 The patient without a fever

00:46 Blue Cue and the scope

01:45 Infection plus organ dysfunction

03:03 Temperature is one clue

04:21 Why the pressure falls

05:42 A screen is not a permission slip

06:58 Make the emergency response concrete

08:17 Cultures before antibiotics when possible

09:50 The antibiotic timing trap

11:14 A number with a context

12:35 Fluid with a reassessment plan

14:06 Pressure and perfusion are related

15:47 Find what needs fixing

17:14 The rapid-fire recall round

Primary sources (checked 8 October 2026)

Independent educational content; not affiliated with or endorsed by NCSBN. NCLEX-RN is a registered trademark of NCSBN. Fictional teaching cases and host persona; licensed stock synthetic narration. Use alongside nursing education and current official exam resources. No individual medical advice or exam-result guarantee.

Corrections: ted.lownie@dal.ca

Episode 6: Stop the Blood: Transfusion Safety Rapid-Fire08 Oct 202600:18:03

A rapid-fire NCLEX-RN review of transfusion safety: bedside checks, compatibility, reaction response, hemolysis, fever, anaphylaxis, TACO versus TRALI and delayed reactions. Six original quick cases, with primary sources and local-policy nuances.

In this episode:

  • Verify identity, component and compatibility before exposure; a discrepancy means hold and resolve it.
  • A suspected reaction requires immediately stopping the transfusion, assessing and supporting the patient, preserving IV access safely and escalating.
  • Connect reaction clues with mechanisms: hemolysis, infection, anaphylaxis, circulatory overload or acute lung injury; new hypoxemia requires action before a perfect label.

Chapters

00:00 Ten minutes in: what comes first?

00:38 Your rapid-fire review

01:22 Match the component to the problem

02:26 The safety check starts before the bag

03:56 Red cells and plasma use different logic

05:12 Tubing, time and the first fifteen minutes

07:13 Stop, assess, preserve access, escalate

08:55 Hemolysis: think broken red cells

09:52 Fever: exclude dangerous causes

11:10 Hives versus anaphylaxis

12:15 TACO versus TRALI: two wet-lung patterns

14:00 The bag ends before every risk ends

14:49 Six calls: say your answer first

16:54 The final bedside burst

Primary sources (checked 8 October 2026)

Independent educational content; not affiliated with or endorsed by NCSBN. NCLEX-RN is a registered trademark of NCSBN. Fictional teaching cases and host persona; licensed stock synthetic narration. Use alongside nursing education and current official exam resources. No individual medical advice or exam-result guarantee.

Corrections: ted.lownie@dal.ca

Episode 5: Which Mask at Which Door?08 Oct 202600:25:33

Clean-looking gloves can still carry the problem. Join Nora on a fictional teaching unit and practise six original infection-control decisions: standard, contact, droplet and airborne precautions; C. diff hand-hygiene nuance; N95 fit testing versus seal checks; chickenpox and shingles; source control during transport; and safe protective-equipment removal. Learn the route, choose the barrier, and protect the next patient. Based on current CDC guidance, with linked sources and clearly stated scope.

In this episode:
• Standard precautions remain the foundation; transmission-based categories can combine, as in chickenpox: airborne plus contact.
• Match the device to its purpose: a patient’s source-control mask differs from the worker’s required fitted respirator.
• Safe removal, hand hygiene, equipment disinfection and advance transport communication complete the protection.

Chapters
00:00 The clean gloves that spread the problem
01:03 A route, a barrier, a next step
02:38 The foundation never leaves
04:57 The bed rail counts
07:18 The C. diff shortcut needs context
09:56 Name the organism, not just the organ
12:25 The room is part of the protection
14:58 Chickenpox opens two categories
17:33 Whose face gets which protection?
20:15 The exit is part of the procedure
22:32 The shift ends; the route still matters
24:32 Remember the route, then make the call

Primary sources (checked 7 October 2026)
NCSBN 2026 NCLEX-RN Test Plan
https://www.ncsbn.org/public-files/2026_RN_Test-Plan_English-F.pdf
CDC — Standard Precautions for All Patient Care
https://www.cdc.gov/infection-control/hcp/basics/standard-precautions.html
CDC — Transmission-Based Precautions
https://www.cdc.gov/infection-control/hcp/basics/transmission-based-precautions.html
CDC — Clinical Safety: Hand Hygiene for Healthcare Workers
https://www.cdc.gov/clean-hands/hcp/clinical-safety/index.html
CDC — C. diff Infection Prevention in Acute Care Facilities
https://www.cdc.gov/c-diff/hcp/clinical-guidance/index.html
CDC — Type and Duration of Precautions: Appendix A
https://www.cdc.gov/infection-control/hcp/isolation-precautions/appendix-a-type-duration.html
CDC — Measles in Healthcare Settings
https://www.cdc.gov/infection-control/hcp/measles/index.html
CDC — Tuberculosis Infection Control
https://www.cdc.gov/tb-healthcare-settings/hcp/infection-control/index.html
CDC/NIOSH — Fit Testing
https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/ppe/respirators/fit-testing.html
CDC — Safe PPE Donning and Removal
https://www.cdc.gov/infection-control/media/pdfs/guidelines-ppe-sequence-p.pdf
CDC — Isolation Precautions: Recommendations
https://www.cdc.gov/infection-control/hcp/isolation-precautions/recommendations.html

Independent educational content; not affiliated with or endorsed by NCSBN. NCLEX-RN is a registered trademark of NCSBN. Fictional teaching cases and host persona; licensed stock synthetic narration. Use alongside nursing education and current official exam resources. No individual medical advice or exam-result guarantee.

Corrections: ted.lownie@dal.ca
#NCLEXRN #NursingStudent #InfectionControl

Episode 4: You Can Delegate the Task, Not the Thinking08 Oct 202600:22:52

A routine walk becomes a changing-patient problem. Rebuild a fictional assignment board with Nora and practise five original delegation questions. Learn the five rights, data collection versus assessment, RN/LPN/UAP role boundaries, closed-loop reporting, supervision and accountability—and why a job title or a “stable” label cannot settle every decision. Includes a clearly labelled Texas scope example; local laws and policies still apply.

In this episode:
• Match the actual activity and required judgment to the person’s authorised role, competence and current patient circumstances.
• A change in the patient requires reassessment and reconsideration of the original plan.
• Specific directions, a return report and outcome evaluation keep delegated care connected.

Chapters
00:00 The assignment board
01:00 The task and the thinking
02:26 Read the verb, not just the task
04:36 Assignment, delegation, and handoff
06:12 Five checks before the handoff of a task
08:27 When the circumstance changes
10:33 The LPN trap
13:08 Experience is not permission
15:14 The report is part of the task
17:36 Who is accountable?
19:38 Rebuild the board
21:42 What, now, who, how, then what?

Primary sources (checked 7 October 2026)
NCSBN 2026 NCLEX-RN Test Plan
https://www.ncsbn.org/public-files/2026_RN_Test-Plan_English-F.pdf
NCSBN–ANA National Guidelines for Nursing Delegation (2019)
https://www.ncsbn.org/public-files/NGND-PosPaper_06.pdf
NCSBN / Tri-Council Scope of Practice Decision-Making Framework
https://www.ncsbn.org/nursing-regulation/practice/decision-making-framework.page
Texas Board of Nursing — Nursing Practice FAQ
https://www.bon.texas.gov/faq_nursing_practice.asp.html
Texas Board of Nursing — Position Statements
https://www.bon.texas.gov/practice_bon_position_statements_content.asp.html

Independent educational content; not affiliated with or endorsed by NCSBN. NCLEX-RN is a registered trademark of NCSBN. Fictional teaching cases and host persona; licensed stock synthetic narration. Use alongside nursing education and current official exam resources. No individual medical advice or exam-result guarantee.

Corrections: ted.lownie@dal.ca
#NCLEXRN #NursingStudent #Delegation

Welcome to Blue Cue: NCLEX-RN Stories That Stick08 Oct 202600:01:27

One patient. One unexpected cue. One decision that changes everything.

Blue Cue helps nursing students prepare for the NCLEX-RN through fictional clinical stories, memorable explanations and original practice questions. Start with prioritisation, potassium in adult DKA, and the truth about question 86 and testing day.

Independent education, not affiliated with or endorsed by NCSBN. NCLEX-RN is a registered trademark of NCSBN. Fictional host persona and cases; licensed stock synthetic narration. Use alongside nursing education and current official exam resources. No exam-result guarantee.

Episode 3: Question 86 Is Not a Verdict08 Oct 202600:21:15

Your exam keeps going. What does that mean? Follow a fictional candidate through preparation, identification, check-in, pacing, breaks, partial-credit questions and the wait for results. Separate current official rules from practical study suggestions, including the difference between US Quick Results and Canadian regulator reporting.

Question count alone does not reveal pass or fail. Prepare for the standard 85–150-item, five-hour format, including breaks; approved accommodations may differ. Verify identification early and use official regulator results.

Chapters
00:00 The screen keeps going
00:45 A calmer kind of preparation
01:24 What the computer is actually doing
03:56 Five hours is a budget
06:30 The night-before problem you can solve today
09:06 The room is not your study desk
11:27 Read the job before doing the job
13:49 Partial credit is not permission to click everything
16:12 Build a plan from your mistakes
18:38 Let the result come from the right place
20:17 Back to eighty-six

Sources (checked 7 October 2026)
NCSBN 2026 NCLEX-RN Test Plan
https://www.ncsbn.org/public-files/2026_RN_Test-Plan_English-F.pdf
2026 NCLEX Candidate Bulletin
https://www.nclex.com/files/2026_NCLEX_Candidate_Bulletin_English.pdf
Computerized Adaptive Testing
https://www.nclex.com/computerized-adaptive-testing.page
Exam Day
https://www.nclex.com/exam-day.page
Acceptable ID
https://www.nclex.com/acceptable-id.page
Prepare
https://www.nclex.com/prepare.page
Quick Results
https://www.nclex.com/quick-results.page
Exam Results
https://www.nclex.com/results.page
Candidate Performance Report
https://www.nclex.com/candidate-performance-report.page
Frequently Asked Questions
https://www.nclex.com/faqs.page
NCLEX Rules
https://www.nclex.com/nclex-rules.page

Independent educational content; not affiliated with or endorsed by NCSBN. NCLEX-RN is a registered trademark of NCSBN. Fictional teaching cases and host persona; licensed stock synthetic narration. Use alongside nursing education and current official exam resources. No individual medical advice or exam-result guarantee.

Episode 2: Potassium's Plot Twist08 Oct 202600:23:08

Why can an adult with DKA have high serum potassium despite losing potassium from the body? Follow Sam through fluids, insulin and changing results. Understand the current adult potassium threshold, why dextrose may join insulin, and why glucose improvement alone does not mean ketoacidosis has resolved.

Serum concentration and total-body potassium are different. The 2024 adult consensus delays insulin below potassium 3.5 mmol/L until it is above 3.5; clarify and follow the applicable protocol. Dextrose may allow insulin treatment to continue while ketoacidosis resolves.

Chapters
00:00 The result that fools you
00:46 The case of the misleading number
01:07 Meet Sam
03:44 The hallway and the rooms
06:30 More than turning down glucose
09:22 The threshold your old notes may miss
12:46 Why add sugar when sugar was the problem?
15:27 The patient without spectacular glucose
17:40 The problem before the problem
19:35 Follow the moving potassium
22:11 The result is a moment, not a promise

Sources (checked 7 October 2026)
NCSBN 2026 NCLEX-RN Test Plan
https://www.ncsbn.org/public-files/2026_RN_Test-Plan_English-F.pdf
Umpierrez et al. (2024), Hyperglycaemic crises in adults with diabetes: a consensus report
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/11343900/
CDC: Diabetic Ketoacidosis
https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/about/diabetic-ketoacidosis.html
Kitabchi et al. (2006) — historical comparator only
https://diabetesjournals.org/care/article/29/12/2739/26342/Hyperglycemic-Crises-in-Adult-Patients-With

Independent educational content; not affiliated with or endorsed by NCSBN. NCLEX-RN is a registered trademark of NCSBN. Fictional teaching cases and host persona; licensed stock synthetic narration. Use alongside nursing education and current official exam resources. No individual medical advice or exam-result guarantee.

Adapted from Umpierrez et al. (2024), Diabetologia 67:1455–1479, CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Original fictional cases and analogies added.

Episode 1: The Quiet Patient Goes First08 Oct 202600:22:18

Four patients need help, but the quiet room contains the immediate threat. Follow original scenarios involving opioid-related breathing problems, sudden neurological changes and hypoglycaemia. Practise spotting the cue that changes the safest next step, and learn why familiar priority slogans need context.

A reassuring oxygen saturation does not rule out inadequate ventilation, especially on supplemental oxygen. Use actual findings to explain urgency. Choose a safe treatment route and reassess after acting.

Chapters
00:00 Four doors, one decision
00:52 Welcome to Blue Cue
01:16 The quiet room
04:33 Why first does not mean only
07:50 Six moves inside one decision
10:28 When the shortcut breaks
13:19 The new word that changes the room
16:03 When juice is the wrong answer
18:11 A short shift in your head
21:11 Back to the quiet room

Sources (checked 7 October 2026)
NCSBN 2026 NCLEX-RN Test Plan
https://www.ncsbn.org/public-files/2026_RN_Test-Plan_English-F.pdf
Clinical Judgment Measurement Model
https://nclex.com/clinical-judgment-measurement-model.page
APSF: Monitoring for Opioid-Induced Respiratory Depression
https://www.apsf.org/article/monitoring-for-opioid-induced-respiratory-depression/
AHA 2025 Guidelines, Part 10
https://cpr.heart.org/en/resuscitation-science/cpr-and-ecc-guidelines/adult-and-pediatric-special-circumstances-of-resuscitation
CDC: Stroke signs
https://www.cdc.gov/stroke/signs-symptoms/index.html
CDC: Low Blood Sugar
https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/treatment/treatment-low-blood-sugar-hypoglycemia.html
NIDDK: Hypoglycemia
https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/preventing-problems/low-blood-glucose-hypoglycemia
AACE 2022 Clinical Practice Guideline
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10200071/
Canadian Stroke Best Practices
https://www.strokebestpractices.ca/recommendations/acute-stroke-management/emergency-department-evaluation-and-management

Independent educational content; not affiliated with or endorsed by NCSBN. NCLEX-RN is a registered trademark of NCSBN. Fictional cases and host persona; licensed stock synthetic narration. Use alongside nursing education and current official exam resources. No individual medical advice or exam-result guarantee.

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