Connecting the Dots® Clinical Judgment Series

Electrolyte Guide

Stop memorizing laboratory values. Start understanding the story they tell.

The Connecting the Dots® Electrolyte Guide was created to help nurses develop the one skill that transforms knowledge into confident clinical practice—clinical judgment.

Rather than focusing on memorizing normal ranges and isolated facts, this guide teaches you how to recognize patterns, connect assessment findings, interpret laboratory values within the context of the whole resident, and communicate effectively with providers.

Designed with long-term care nurses in mind—but valuable for nurses in every setting—this book walks you through common electrolyte imbalances using a consistent clinical thinking framework:

• Look at the clues.

• Gather the evidence.

• Connect the dots.

• Build the clinical picture.

• Then pick up the phone.

Inside you’ll find:

• Easy-to-understand explanations of each electrolyte and its role in the body
• Hyper- and hypo-electrolyte disorders for potassium, sodium, magnesium, calcium, and phosphorus
• Clinical thinking prompts to strengthen assessment skills
• Long-term care clinical pearls
• Real-world case studies
• Reflection questions to reinforce clinical judgment
• A repeatable framework you can apply to every resident you care for

🎁 Bonus Companion Workbook Included

As a thank-you for purchasing this guide, you’ll also receive the Connecting the Dots® Clinical Blueprint Workbook at no additional cost.

The Clinical Blueprints are designed to be completed alongside each case study in the book, allowing you to organize your assessment, connect your findings, and practice clinical judgment before reviewing the reflection questions.

Think of the book as the lesson…

and the Clinical Blueprints as the hands-on practice.

Print them, write on them, reuse them, and build the habit of thinking through every clinical situation using the Connecting the Dots® Method.

Every patient tells a story, it’s your job to connect the dots