- Exam
- NCLEX-RN
- Read time
- 1 min
- Updated
- Jun 2026
You don't need to memorize every drug for the NCLEX. You need a handful of mechanism-based memory tricks tied to how drugs actually work — not random acronyms. Here are three that pull their weight.
1. SLUDGE — Cholinergic Drug Effects
When a cholinergic drug (or cholinesterase inhibitor) amps up your parasympathetic nervous system, think SLUDGE:
- S — Salivation
- L — Lacrimation (tearing)
- U — Urination
- D — Diaphoresis (sweating)
- G — GI cramping
- E — Emesis (vomiting)
2. Drug Suffix Stems — Decode Any Drug Name
You don't need to memorize 300 individual drugs. Learn the suffixes and you can identify the class on sight:
- -olol → Beta blockers (metoprolol, atenolol)
- -pril → ACE inhibitors (lisinopril, enalapril)
- -sartan → ARBs (losartan, valsartan)
- -statin → Cholesterol-lowering (atorvastatin)
- -pine → Calcium channel blockers (amlodipine)
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3. Anticoagulant Monitoring — "aPTT for the P, PT/INR for the Pill"
Heparin is parenteral (IV/subQ) → monitor aPTT. Warfarin is the pill (oral) → monitor PT/INR. Match the P's and you'll never mix them up.
| Dimension | Heparin | Warfarin |
|---|---|---|
| Route | Parenteral (IV/subQ) | The pill (oral) |
| Monitoring | aPTT | PT/INR |
| Antidote | Protamine | Vitamin K |
Make Them Stick
A mnemonic only works if you pair it with understanding. Learn the shortcut, then immediately ask why — that connection is what holds up under NCLEX pressure. Practice applying these in NCLEX-style questions and you'll retrieve them automatically on exam day.
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