Assessment “Signs” on the NCLEX

Students get the signs confused. Here’s a simple and organized list for you:

Neuro Signs

• Kernig’s sign: meningitis – pain in the hammie’s (hamstring muscles) when extending the leg or flexing the hip
• Brudzinski sign: meningitis – the hips flex when the neck is flexed forward when laying supine

Electrolyte Signs

• Chvostek’s sign: low calcium and low magnesium – tap the cheek and the facial muscles twitch
• Trousseau’s sign: low calcium and low magnesium – the blood pressure cuff makes the hand flex forward and look like a claw

Newborn signs

• Babinski’s reflex: the big toe dorsiflexes (or fans up and out) when the sole of the foot is stimulated (normal in a baby <6 mths old)
• Moro/Startle reflex: when baby thinks they are falling they will put arms out and then pull arms in as if they are “startled”
• Tonic neck/fencing reflex: turn baby’s head to LEFT side and left arm and leg will extend outward and the RIGHT arm and leg flex up

Pregnancy signs

• Chadwick’s sign: blue-violet color of the cervix around week 6
  • “Chad is blue”
• Heger’s sign: lower uterus gets soft around week 6
• Goodell’s sign: softening of the entire cervix around week 8

Gastrointestinal signs

• Cullen’s sign: bluish color around naval caused by internal bleeding like ectopic pregnancy or acute pancreatitis
• McBurney’s sign: appendicitis – rebound tenderness in the lower right hand area of abdomen