Priorities: Food vs. Elimination

Nursing Students Student Assist

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Specializes in Oncology, Palliative Care.

Hey everyone, I'm a second semester nursing student, this is my very first post on allnurses.com and I'm so excited to hear all of your opinions!

I had a patient with a TAH BSO, 2 days post-op. She had not been passing much gas, had not had a BM, and had hypoactive bowels. She was urinating regularly without c/o discomfort. Since she isn't passing gas, she is on a clear liquid diet.

My instructor implied that the inability to pass gas was priority (not necessarily the highest), but would imbalanced nutrition (food) not be a higher priority than constipation (elimination)?

I look forward to hear your ideas! Thank you!

My instructor implied that the inability to pass gas was priority (not necessarily the highest), but would imbalanced nutrition (food) not be a higher priority than constipation (elimination)?

In this case, no. They're eating a CLD, so there's some nutrition. But their inability to pass gas or have a BM may have a more serious problem. And 2 days after surgery you have hypoactive bowels?... You could be dealing with an ileus(common with big abdominal surgeries like that), bowel perforation, nicking the colon, etc.

Would you rather crap or eat? I'd rather do the former first.

Specializes in Oncology, Palliative Care.

Thanks for the input, y'all. kgh31386, that's exactly the kind of explanation I was looking for... I appreciate your help!!

ImThatGuy, does it matter what I would rather do when it comes to nursing diagnoses? I'll stay on the safe side and try to base my priorities on Maslow's hierarchy cause I think I'd rather eat than poo most of the time... thanks for the laugh though.

Thanks for the input, y'all. kgh31386, that's exactly the kind of explanation I was looking for... I appreciate your help!!

ImThatGuy, does it matter what I would rather do when it comes to nursing diagnoses? I'll stay on the safe side and try to base my priorities on Maslow's hierarchy cause I think I'd rather eat than poo most of the time... thanks for the laugh though.

It has everything to do with the diagnosis. When you gotta go you gotta go. Eating can always wait another 15 minutes.

Specializes in ER, progressive care.
Hey everyone, I'm a second semester nursing student, this is my very first post on allnurses.com and I'm so excited to hear all of your opinions!

I had a patient with a TAH BSO, 2 days post-op. She had not been passing much gas, had not had a BM, and had hypoactive bowels. She was urinating regularly without c/o discomfort. Since she isn't passing gas, she is on a clear liquid diet.

My instructor implied that the inability to pass gas was priority (not necessarily the highest), but would imbalanced nutrition (food) not be a higher priority than constipation (elimination)?

I look forward to hear your ideas! Thank you!

although food falls under basic physiological needs on Maslow's Hierarchy (and those needs should be fulfilled first), the fact that the patient has constipation is priority because the patient is 2 days post-op and assessment findings indicate a possible ileus (bowel obstruction), which is definitely a priority over food.

Specializes in Oncology, Palliative Care.

Thank you everyone!! :D I completely understand why elimination is a priority over food in this situation.... especially because constipation is an "actual" diagnosis, while imbalanced nutrition is simply a "risk for" since she is on a clear liquid diet.

Hopefully I'll catch on to these care plans and prioritizing things soon!!

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