Sodium Imbalance Nursing Cheat Sheet – Hyponatremia & Hypernatremia Study Guide (Printable PDF)

Sodium isn't a salt problem — it's a water problem. Miss that, and it's the brain that pays for it.

This one-page visual shows what happens to brain cells when sodium runs low or high, so you stop memorizing numbers and start understanding the why behind every sign and intervention. Built nurse-to-nurse around a realistic case: an older adult on a thiazide with a sodium of 128.

What's inside:

• Normal sodium range and where the danger starts
• Low sodium (hypotonic hyponatremia): water moves in, brain cells swell → headache, new confusion, seizures
• High sodium (hypernatremia): water moves out, brain cells shrink → agitation, lethargy, neurologic decline
• Clear cell diagrams showing osmotic water movement at a glance
• Nursing priorities split into what's yours (neuro checks, seizure precautions) vs. ordered treatment (saline or fluid restriction)
• The "correct carefully" safety catch — why rapid correction risks osmotic demyelination

Perfect for: nursing students, new grads, NCLEX prep, and med-surg or critical care floors.

Instant PDF & PNG download — print it, slip it in your clinical binder, or save it to your phone.

For educational and study purposes only. Not medical advice or a treatment protocol.