Rheumatoid arthritis
Structured condition card with NCLEX priority cues and nursing action focus.
Autoimmune / GeneticMusculoskeletalmedium priorityneeds review
Rheumatoid arthritis
Also testable as: RA
Etiology / Pathophysiology
- Autoimmune inflammatory arthritis with genetic and environmental risk factors.
- Synovial inflammation damages joints and can cause systemic fatigue, anemia, and organ involvement.
Medications
| Class | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Corticosteroids | May be used short-term for inflammatory flares when ordered. |
Nursing actions
- Assess pain, morning stiffness, joint swelling, function, fatigue, and medication adverse effects.
- Teach joint protection, heat/cold use, exercise/rest balance, and early reporting of infection if immunosuppressed.
- Monitor for cervical spine symptoms before procedures or airway manipulation history questions.
Complications
- Joint deformity
- Functional decline
- Infection from immunosuppression
- Cervical spine instability
NCLEX cues
- Symmetric small-joint stiffness worse in morning.
- DMARD/biologic therapy raises infection teaching.
- Protect joints but keep moving.
Memory hooks
- RA is inflamed synovium, not wear-and-tear only.
Labs / Diagnostics
- RF/anti-CCP when ordered
- ESR/CRP
- CBC/liver labs for medication monitoring
- Joint x-rays
Review notes
- Supplemental wife-requested study card. Use for NCLEX review only and verify against school materials, ATI/NCLEX review sources, current orders, and facility policy.