Musculoskeletal Sayings to Remember Content for the NCLEX

The 5 P’s – This is your neurovascular assessment for those with fractures, casts, and traction

• Pain
• Pallor
• Pulses
• Paresthesia
• Paralysis

RICE – this is your immediate interventions for those with an acute musculoskeletal injury

• Rest
• Ice
• Compression
• Elevate

Stairs and Crutches

• “Up with the good and down with the bad”
• going up: move the good leg up first, then the bad leg and crutch
• going down: move the bad leg down and crutch, then move the good leg down

Canes and COAL

• “Cane Opposite Affected Leg”
• put the cane on the opposite side of the bad leg
• move the cane at the same time as the bad leg

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