42 Essential Lab Values for Nurses to Memorize

Lab Values (Nursing) – Overview

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

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

Nurses play a critical role in healthcare settings, including hospitals and clinics, by providing patient care, which may involve collecting data and lab reports among various other responsibilities.

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.

The NCLEX examination assesses a candidate’s knowledge and skills necessary for safe and effective practice as a newly licensed, entry-level nurse, which includes but is not limited to lab values.

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, nurses or even ordinary 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 patient’s lab values, the doctor would prescribe the medicines or ask the patient to be admitted to the hospital for further treatment.

Without evaluating lab reports, doctors cannot 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: 4,500- 11,000 cells/μL

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 (fasting)

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 Count: 150,000- 400,000 per µL

10. INR

INR Value for general population: 0.8-1.2 INR Target for patients on anticoagulation therapy (e.g., warfarin): 2-3 (depending on the indication for therapy)

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 Bilirubin Value: 0.1-1.2 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 µg/dL

29. Prealbumin

Prealbumin Value: 19–38 mg/dL (note: no longer a reliable indicator of nutritional status due to its sensitivity to inflammation)

30. Alpha- Phetoprotein

Alpha-Fetoprotein Value: < 40 ng/mL

31. Albumin

Albumin Value: 3.5- 5 g/ dL

32. BUN

BUN Value: 10- 20 mg/ dL

33. Serum Creatine

Serum Creatinine Value: 0.6–1.2 mg/dL for males and 0.5–1.1 mg/dL for females (values may vary slightly by lab and should be interpreted with GFR).

34. Creatine Clearance

Creatinine Clearance normal ranges are approximately 88–128 mL/min for females and 97–137 mL/min for males, but GFR is now more commonly used for kidney function assessment.

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 (Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone) normal values typically range from approximately 0.4 to 4.0 mU/L, but can vary slightly between laboratories.

39. GFR

GFR (Glomerular Filtration Rate) is a measure of kidney function. Normal GFR values can vary by age, sex, and body size, but a GFR over 90 mL/min/1.73 m² is generally considered normal.

40. Oral Glucose Tolerance Test

Oral Glucose Tolerance Test Value (2-hour): < 140 mg/dL

41. Fasting Blood Glucose

Fasting Blood Glucose Value: < 100 mg/dL

42. Glycosylated Hemoglobin

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

• Less than 5.7%: Absence of diabetes
• 5.7% to 6.4%: Prediabetes
• 6.5% or higher: Diabetes Mellitus

See Also

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What are the Creatinine Lab Values

What are the Normal Lab Values

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