lOMoARcPSD| 62788957
Comprehensive ATI Exam Study Guide
Hi all! My name is Morgan and I recently graduated from Drexel University’s Accelerated Nursing Program
in Philadelphia! This program is 11 months in length, and is designed for students who have completed a prior
degree looking to complete their BSN in less than a year. It was one of the hardest things I have ever done, but I
am so thankful for my education and where
I am today!
This study guide is a condensed version of ATI’s Comprehensive Book (pink book) and it literally got me
through the ATI Comprehensive Final Exam with flying colors. Each section is divided up between topics, and
there are subtopics in each section to help facilitate your learning. Good luck, you got this!
Before we start, take a deep breath. ATI is designed to help you better prepare for the NCLEX, and while
it is daunting, you will slay the ATI if you follow this study guide and supplement your review with practice
questions (from ATI of course!) Set yourself up in a comfortable room, preferably a quiet one with few
distractions. Take frequent breaks, drink lots of water, and stretch your legs when needed. YOU and your mental
health come first. You’ve got this, we’re rooting for you!
Timeline and How to Study
If you’re in your last quarter/semester, you’ve probably been thinking about preparing for the ATI Final Exam (or
have already started!) Use this timeline as a guide to help space out your review. Feel free to double up on topics
or go in any order you’d like! This timeline worked for me, but change it up to make it work for you.
Day Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
Sunda y
Adult Med Surg
Adult Med Adult Med Surg
Week Adult Med Surg Adult Med Surg Hematologic,
Fundamentals Surg Endocrine & Break
1 Respiratory Cardiovascular Immune, &
GI & Renal Integumentary
Cancers
Maternity
Diagnostic Maternity
Adult Med Surg Adult Med
Week Tests & Signs of Maternity Maternity
Neuro & Surg Break
2 Reproductive Pregnancy & L&D Postpartum
Musculoskeletal Reproductive
System Complications
Peds
Peds Procedures,
Week Mental
Maternity Newborn Developmental Poisoning, & Mental Health Critical Care Break
3 Health
Milestones Others
Pharm
Pharm Pharm Pharm Pharm Infectious
Week
Critical Care Calculations & Cardiovascular Neuro & Maternity & Disease & Break
4
Conversions & Respiratory Reproductive Psych Analgesics
, lOMoARcPSD| 62788957
Table of Contents Page #
Fundamentals
● Ethics and Laws 3
● Admissions 5
● Nursing Process 6
○ Lab Values to Know 7
● Patient Needs 8
● Duties of Different Professionals 9
● Death and Dying 10
● Nursing Procedures 10
● Important Considerations 11
● Common Clinical Signs 14
● Safety and Infection Control 15
● Transmission Based Precautions 15
● Nutrition 18
Medical Surgical Nursing
● Respiratory 22
● Cardiovascular and Peripheral Vascular Disorders 25
● Hematologic, Immune, and Cancers 28
● Gastrointestinal System 30
● Renal System 34
● Endocrine System 38
● Neurosensory System 40
● Musculoskeletal System 44
● Integumentary System 47
Maternity
● Diagnostic Tests and Reproductive System 49
● Signs of Pregnancy 51
● Complications During Pregnancy 52
, lOMoARcPSD| 62788957
● Labor and Delivery 54
● Postpartum Assessment 56
● Newborn Assessment 57
Pediatrics
● Developmental Milestones 60
● Procedures, Poisoning, & Others 69
Mental Health
● Overview 70
● Disorders 73
● Extrapyramidal Symptoms & Medications 77
Pharmacology
● Overview 78
● Important Drugs 79
● Frequent Monitoring Drugs & Toxicity 82
Diagnostic Lab Tests and Values
● Overview 86
Fundamentals Ethics
and Civil Law
● Reporting Act
○ Child and elderly abuse
○ Gunshot wounds
○ Communicable diseases
○ Ophthalmia Neonatorum
○ Phenylketonuria
○ Criminal acts
● Incident Reports
○ NEVER place in a patient's chart
○ If a patient wants to leave AMA, it is the provider's responsibility to advise the patient of any risks
involved when they refuse care
● Advanced Directives
○ Two Types
■ Living will
■ Durable Power of Attorney: transfers all rights to the designated agent
, lOMoARcPSD| 62788957
○ Intended to allow patients to have more control over their health care decisions at the end of life
● Informed Consent
○ Not required in emergency situations
○ Capacity-age (adult), competence (can make choices and understand
consequences)
○ Voluntary
■ Freedom of choice without force, fraud, duress, or coercion
○ Informed consent not to be made under the influence of a drug or alcohol
○ The nurse’s signature as a witness on a consent form indicates that the nurse observed the informed
consent or the clients authorized representative voluntarily signed the consent form
● When to Question Provider Orders
○ Ambiguous orders
○ Orders that the patient questions
○ Orders when the patient’s condition has changed
○ Orders which do not match with your experience
○ Verbal orders that the doctor has not yet co-signed
● How to Protect your License
○ Do not let anyone else borrow it
○ Do not copy it unless you write COPY on it
○ If you lose your license, report it immediately
○ Be sure that the Board of Nursing is notified of any changes of address or name ○ Practice
nursing according to the scope and standards of the state you work in
● Torts
○ Civil wrongs
○ Intentional
■ Assault, battery, defamation, false imprisonment, outage, invasion of privacy, wrongful
disclosure of confidential information (can fax or email personal information if consent
was given)
○ Unintentional (Negligence)
■ Failure of a nurse to perform an act that a reasonable person would or would not perform
in similar circumstances
■ Can be an act of omission or commission
■ Occurs when injury results from the failure of the wrongdoer to exercise care ● Malpractice
○ Professional misconduct that is an unreasonable lack of skill or fidelity in duties
○ Ex; not inserting a foley, not taking appropriate steps to decrease a patient’s temperature, not
reporting worsening conditions of the patient to the provider, not preventing falls
● Libel
○ Written communication that injures a person’s reputation
● Slander
○ Oral communication that injures a person’s repudiation
● Assault
Comprehensive ATI Exam Study Guide
Hi all! My name is Morgan and I recently graduated from Drexel University’s Accelerated Nursing Program
in Philadelphia! This program is 11 months in length, and is designed for students who have completed a prior
degree looking to complete their BSN in less than a year. It was one of the hardest things I have ever done, but I
am so thankful for my education and where
I am today!
This study guide is a condensed version of ATI’s Comprehensive Book (pink book) and it literally got me
through the ATI Comprehensive Final Exam with flying colors. Each section is divided up between topics, and
there are subtopics in each section to help facilitate your learning. Good luck, you got this!
Before we start, take a deep breath. ATI is designed to help you better prepare for the NCLEX, and while
it is daunting, you will slay the ATI if you follow this study guide and supplement your review with practice
questions (from ATI of course!) Set yourself up in a comfortable room, preferably a quiet one with few
distractions. Take frequent breaks, drink lots of water, and stretch your legs when needed. YOU and your mental
health come first. You’ve got this, we’re rooting for you!
Timeline and How to Study
If you’re in your last quarter/semester, you’ve probably been thinking about preparing for the ATI Final Exam (or
have already started!) Use this timeline as a guide to help space out your review. Feel free to double up on topics
or go in any order you’d like! This timeline worked for me, but change it up to make it work for you.
Day Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
Sunda y
Adult Med Surg
Adult Med Adult Med Surg
Week Adult Med Surg Adult Med Surg Hematologic,
Fundamentals Surg Endocrine & Break
1 Respiratory Cardiovascular Immune, &
GI & Renal Integumentary
Cancers
Maternity
Diagnostic Maternity
Adult Med Surg Adult Med
Week Tests & Signs of Maternity Maternity
Neuro & Surg Break
2 Reproductive Pregnancy & L&D Postpartum
Musculoskeletal Reproductive
System Complications
Peds
Peds Procedures,
Week Mental
Maternity Newborn Developmental Poisoning, & Mental Health Critical Care Break
3 Health
Milestones Others
Pharm
Pharm Pharm Pharm Pharm Infectious
Week
Critical Care Calculations & Cardiovascular Neuro & Maternity & Disease & Break
4
Conversions & Respiratory Reproductive Psych Analgesics
, lOMoARcPSD| 62788957
Table of Contents Page #
Fundamentals
● Ethics and Laws 3
● Admissions 5
● Nursing Process 6
○ Lab Values to Know 7
● Patient Needs 8
● Duties of Different Professionals 9
● Death and Dying 10
● Nursing Procedures 10
● Important Considerations 11
● Common Clinical Signs 14
● Safety and Infection Control 15
● Transmission Based Precautions 15
● Nutrition 18
Medical Surgical Nursing
● Respiratory 22
● Cardiovascular and Peripheral Vascular Disorders 25
● Hematologic, Immune, and Cancers 28
● Gastrointestinal System 30
● Renal System 34
● Endocrine System 38
● Neurosensory System 40
● Musculoskeletal System 44
● Integumentary System 47
Maternity
● Diagnostic Tests and Reproductive System 49
● Signs of Pregnancy 51
● Complications During Pregnancy 52
, lOMoARcPSD| 62788957
● Labor and Delivery 54
● Postpartum Assessment 56
● Newborn Assessment 57
Pediatrics
● Developmental Milestones 60
● Procedures, Poisoning, & Others 69
Mental Health
● Overview 70
● Disorders 73
● Extrapyramidal Symptoms & Medications 77
Pharmacology
● Overview 78
● Important Drugs 79
● Frequent Monitoring Drugs & Toxicity 82
Diagnostic Lab Tests and Values
● Overview 86
Fundamentals Ethics
and Civil Law
● Reporting Act
○ Child and elderly abuse
○ Gunshot wounds
○ Communicable diseases
○ Ophthalmia Neonatorum
○ Phenylketonuria
○ Criminal acts
● Incident Reports
○ NEVER place in a patient's chart
○ If a patient wants to leave AMA, it is the provider's responsibility to advise the patient of any risks
involved when they refuse care
● Advanced Directives
○ Two Types
■ Living will
■ Durable Power of Attorney: transfers all rights to the designated agent
, lOMoARcPSD| 62788957
○ Intended to allow patients to have more control over their health care decisions at the end of life
● Informed Consent
○ Not required in emergency situations
○ Capacity-age (adult), competence (can make choices and understand
consequences)
○ Voluntary
■ Freedom of choice without force, fraud, duress, or coercion
○ Informed consent not to be made under the influence of a drug or alcohol
○ The nurse’s signature as a witness on a consent form indicates that the nurse observed the informed
consent or the clients authorized representative voluntarily signed the consent form
● When to Question Provider Orders
○ Ambiguous orders
○ Orders that the patient questions
○ Orders when the patient’s condition has changed
○ Orders which do not match with your experience
○ Verbal orders that the doctor has not yet co-signed
● How to Protect your License
○ Do not let anyone else borrow it
○ Do not copy it unless you write COPY on it
○ If you lose your license, report it immediately
○ Be sure that the Board of Nursing is notified of any changes of address or name ○ Practice
nursing according to the scope and standards of the state you work in
● Torts
○ Civil wrongs
○ Intentional
■ Assault, battery, defamation, false imprisonment, outage, invasion of privacy, wrongful
disclosure of confidential information (can fax or email personal information if consent
was given)
○ Unintentional (Negligence)
■ Failure of a nurse to perform an act that a reasonable person would or would not perform
in similar circumstances
■ Can be an act of omission or commission
■ Occurs when injury results from the failure of the wrongdoer to exercise care ● Malpractice
○ Professional misconduct that is an unreasonable lack of skill or fidelity in duties
○ Ex; not inserting a foley, not taking appropriate steps to decrease a patient’s temperature, not
reporting worsening conditions of the patient to the provider, not preventing falls
● Libel
○ Written communication that injures a person’s reputation
● Slander
○ Oral communication that injures a person’s repudiation
● Assault
