42 Essential Lab Values for Nurses to Memorize

Lab Values (Nursing) – Overview

After completing the nursing course, you must pass the NCLEX i.e. National Council Licensure Examination, which is mandatory for nursing students to obtain their nursing license.

As a nurse, one must remember basic lab values to deal with day-to-day tasks. Lab Value Nursing listed below will help you memorize the essential lab values for nursing.

Nurses are the backbone of the hospital or the clinic as they are responsible for collecting the data, lab reports, and other information from every single patient.

They have to record all the lab tests and their values to provide the required treatments to the patients.

Since nurses have to look after several patients, they need to remember the lab values that they have to deal with for their patients.

Besides this, if you are going to apply for the nursing license through NCLEX, then you will have to remember all these values as lab values nursing are the most asked questions in the examination.

To help you clear the NCLEX exam and get a license for nursing, here we have provided a comprehensive list of lab values for nursing.

The list is a handful and it certainly helps nursing students or nurses or even common people to know about the basic lab tests and their values. Before we get on to the list, let’s collect some useful information about lab values.

What is Lab Values Nursing?

Lab Values are used to check the overall body and health of the patient. Lab values are derived from the patient’s blood, urine, and other body tissues and samples.

The normal lab values may vary from patient to patient and several factors could affect the range of lab values.

After evaluating the lab reports and comparing the lab values of the patient, the doctor would prescribe the medicines or will ask the patient to admit to the hospital for further treatment.

Without evaluating lab reports, doctors are unable to treat the patients as they are not aware of the diseases.

NCLEX Lab Values for Nursing are listed here. Follow the list to know more about the type of lab values as per the blood reports prescribed by your doctor.

The following list is essential for those who are preparing for their NCLEX examination.

Lab Values Nursing:

1. Cholesterol

Cholesterol Lab Value: < 200 mg/dL

2. Blood

Blood pH: 7.35 to 7.45

Blood PaO2: 80 -100 mm Hg

Blood PaCO2: 35- 45 mm Hg

Blood HCO3: 22- 26 mEq/ L

Blood SaO2: > 95%

3. WBC

WBC Counts: 5,000- 10,000 u/L

4. HDL

HDL in Females: 35- 80 mg/ dL

HDL in Males: 35- 65 mg/ dL

5. LDL

LDL Value: < 130 mg/ dL

6. Tryglycerides

Triglycerides Value: < 150 mg/ dL

7. Hematocrit

Hematocrit in Females: 37- 47%

Hematocrit in Males: 42- 52%

8. Hemoglobin

• Hemoglobin in Females: 12- 16 g/ dL
• Hemoglobin in Males: 14- 18 g/ dL

9. Blood Platelets

Blood Platelets Counts: 150,000- 400,000 mm3

10. INR

INR Value: 2-3

11. D- dimer

D- dimer reported as positive or negative in lab reports. The lab values for D- dimer is 0- 250 ng/ mL

12. Sodium

Sodium Value: 135- 145 mEq/ L

13. Potassium

Pottasium Value: 3.5- 5 mEq/ L

14. Fibrinogen Levels

Fibrinogen Levels: 170 -340 mg/ dL

15. Fibrin Degradation

Fibrin Degradation Products Value: < 10 mcg / mL

16. Calcium

Calcium Value: 9- 10.5 mg/ dL

17. Chloride

Chloride Value: 98- 106 mEQ/ L

18. Phosphorus

Phosphorus Value: 3.5- 4.5 mg/ dL

19. Magnesium

Magnesium Value: 1.3- 2.1 mEq/ L

20. Amylase

Amylase Value: 56- 90 IU/ L

21. Lipase

Lipase Value: 0- 110 units/ L

22. Bilirubin

Total Bilirupin Value: 0/1 mg/ dL

23. Bilirubin Direct

Direct Bilirubin Value is also known as conjugated bilirubin. The Conjugated Bilirubin Value is 0. 0.3 mg/ dL

24. Bilirubin Indirect

Indirect Bilirubin Value is also known as unconjugated bilirubin. The Unconjugated Bilirubin Value is 0.1- 1 mg/ dL

25. AST

AST Value: 5- 40 units/ L

26. ALT

ALT Value: 8- 20 units/ L

27. ALP

ALP Value: 42- 128 units/ L

28. Ammonia

Ammonia Value: 15- 110 mg/ dL

29. Prealbumin

Prealbumin Value: 19- 38 mg/ dL

30. Alpha- Phetoprotein

Alpha- Phetoprotein Value: < 40 mcg/ L

31. Albumin

Albumin Value: 3.5- 5 g/ dL

32. BUN

BUN Value: 10- 20 mg/ dL

33. Serum Creatine

Serum Creatine Value: 0.6- 1.2 mg/ dL

34. Creatine Clearance

• Creatine Clearance Value in Females: 80- 125 mL/ min
• Creatine Clearance Value in Males: 90- 139 mL/ min

35. Urine Specific Gravity

Urine Specific Gravity Value: 1.010- 1.030

36. T3

T3 Value: 70- 205 ng/ dL

37. T4

T4 Value: 4- 12 mcg/ dL

38. TSH

TSH Value: 0.4- 6 microunits/ dL

39. GFR

GFR stands for Glomerular Filtration Rate. The GFR Value is 120- 130 mL/ min

40. Oral Glucose Tolerance Test

Oral Glucose Tolerance Test Value: < 140 mg/ dL

41. Fasting Blood Glucose

Fasting Blood Glucose Value: < 110 mg/ dL

42. Glycosylated Hemoglobin

Glycosylated Hemoglobin refers to HbA1c. HbA1c has three lab values.

• =< 5%- absence of diabetes Mellitus
• 7%- 6.4%- prediabetes Mellitus
• 5% or higher- diabetes Mellitus

See Also

Bun Lab Values

What are the Creatinine Lab Values

What are the Normal Lab Values

Grants for Laboratory Equipment

Best Medical Device Companies

Aesthetic Nurse Certification

References

https://www.registerednursing.org/nclex/laboratory-values/

https://thenerdynurse.com/must-know-laboratory-values-nurses/

https://www.joyce.edu/blog/nclex-lab-values/

https://nursing.com/blog/must-know-nclex-labs/