I'm doing my very first care plan and i'm so confused. My patient has pancreatic cancer, but she was admitted to the hospital with obstructive jaundice and abdominal pain. my instructor helped me out with a few nursing diagnoses and we only have to pick our priority diagnosis to write a care plan on. Below are some of the diagnoses she helped me come up with. In lecture I've always been told if there isn't an airway issue than pain is always priority, but my clinical instructor says Risk for electrolyte imbalance r/t patient receiving chemotherapeutic medications is my priority but i don't understand how that is true since its a potential problem not an actual problem and her pain is an actual problem. Let me know what you think, am i way off base here?
Acute pain r/t biliary stent surgery a.e.b patient rates pain 6 out of 10
Risk for electrolyte imbalance r/t patient receiving chemotherapeutic medications
Risk for decreased liver function r/t increased bilirubin level of 13 a.e.b yellowing of patient skin and eyes
Risk for falls r/t unsteady gait
Activity intolerance r/t pain a.e.b patient unable to get out of bed, pain rating 6 out of 10
I'm doing my very first care plan and i'm so confused. My patient has pancreatic cancer, but she was admitted to the hospital with obstructive jaundice and abdominal pain. my instructor helped me out with a few nursing diagnoses and we only have to pick our priority diagnosis to write a care plan on. Below are some of the diagnoses she helped me come up with. In lecture I've always been told if there isn't an airway issue than pain is always priority, but my clinical instructor says Risk for electrolyte imbalance r/t patient receiving chemotherapeutic medications is my priority but i don't understand how that is true since its a potential problem not an actual problem and her pain is an actual problem. Let me know what you think, am i way off base here?