need help with priority questions

Well I would choose NPO, due to bowel sounds, but what was the answer???

very tricky question! i would be leaning toward IV-FLUIDS!!! more in IV fluids, because after abd surgery priority for the pt. would be fluid volume deficit, they could be on shock loss a lot of blood during surgery i think,shock=hypotension and tachycardia=decrease cardiac ouput=organ failure. so i would make sure IV fluids is running correctly. just my though i could be wrong!!! any reply would be great not really sure about this question. but if i see a question on nclex next week when i take it. i would choose IV-FLUIDS

Well I took Kaplan and the way they said to answer these questions is to look at it as if you could do only one thing and go home, what would it be. So ask yourself, "what would happen if I didn't do this?", or, "If I chose to hang Iv fluids and not give pain meds what would happen?" Always go with what could make the pt unstable (fluid balance). Also Kaplan taught us to use maslows hierarchy, meaning that...always pick physical over psy issues...and pain is considered a psy issue and doesn't take priority over phys. (I know they drill pain into us in school). Good luck :0)

I would choose Pain....

my two cents...pain...

I would have picked vitals first, but that wasn't an option..my rationale..the question doesn't say anything about them losing blood or experiencing any fluid volume deficit so I would discard IV fluids, it didn't say anything about the patient eating or bowel sounds, so I wouldn't pick NPO first. You definately would monitor electrolytes, but pain would definately come before that. It would be very important to get pain under control first. When pain in controlled, patient will be able to take deep breaths thus avoiding such things as hypoxia, when pain is controlled you will be able to ambulate patient thus decreasing the risk for DVT, anxiety will be decreased. When a person is experiecing pain they tend to breathe faster increasing fluid loss....etc etc...I would choose pain...I think

First of all - How did the question sound exactly?

Very often it mentions immediately after or 24 hour after surgery, if so go from there- if immediately- pain is not a problem yet, NPO- may be- but nobody is hungry right after sugery, IV - my choice; if it is 24 hours after- I would choose pain, because everything else is solved by this time. If the question sounds the way you presented- I would coose IV, because question does not give any more info to support other aswers, and fluids would be a priority here - not the pain or food

I agree with Kasha143,

I also took kaplan....I believe since pain is a psychosocial issue, physical issues take precedent. so whats left is monitor IV fluids, keep pt npo, and monitor electrolytes, I am trying to think this through! what's most important, what would make the patient unstable if not done.....bowel sounds should be present after 24 hours......but right after surg must be npo.....bear with me I am getting there....fvd vs fvo....not good..okay I would pick monitor IV fluids....now the answer please.

oops sorry guys but i gave you guys wrong answer choice... ha ha sorry...

here is the question..

a child comes to the floor after bowel resection surgery. what is the most important for nurse to do?

1) keep patient npo

2)assess for pain level

3)monitor vital signs

4)administer iv fluid

whats your answer??????? :mortarboard:

Vital Signs

in that case monitor vital signs