Hello! I am doing med-surg right now.Last week we did our first care plan for that course and it asked us to list the diagnoses in order of priority. The other care plans we have done for our other clinicals didn't have us do that. So I was looking into it. I know you are supposed to do it by Maslow's hierarchy. But I am having trouble with prioritizing the physiologic needs. I know you start with ABCs - airway, breath, circulation. But what about after that. I am having trouble figuring out past the ABCs, what would be priority. For example, my pt last week the nursing diagnoses I used were (and this is the order of priority I used):
- Risk for infection r/t inadequate primary defenses (broken skin)
In my NUR 250 class my professor always said that risk diagnoses come after actual diagnoses. However, when my professor graded my care plan she said she would think risk for infection would be paramount.
Can anyone help me with prioritizing the physiologic needs? Again, I understand that diagnoses r/t airway come first, breathing second, and circulation third. But what about the other physiologic needs? Tomorrow I go to clinicals again, so I will be doing my care plans for those patients and would like to know how to prioritize the diagnoses better.
Electrolyte imbalance r/t hypokalemia and hypocalcemia- potassium and calcium will kill your patient first-may be why he/she is having seizure. So I would go with correcting that, then hopefully stops seizure, when you start your care plan-you will see that seizure precaution is included when caring for patient with hypocalcemia and hypokalemia; Risk for injury should cover fall (although falls is overrated per my instructors); Skin integrity may not be an issue for a 55 years old-depending on their level care- How about risk for deficient fluid r/t Cdiff
Can I use electrolyte imbalance? The only thing I could find with NANDA nursing diagnoses was risk for electrolye imbalance. So I didnt want to use "electrolye imbalance" even though based on her labs it what she had, because I didn't find it as an approved nursing diagnosis.
Specializes in Public Health, Maternal Child Health.
Oh my gosh that potassium level could be very dangerous. She could go into cardiac dysrhythimia. Just my personal opinion that needs to have higher priority. Totally agree with the advice think what will kill them quickly and make that the priority. Good luck!
Oh my gosh that potassium level could be very dangerous. She could go into cardiac dysrhythimia. Just my personal opinion that needs to have higher priority. Totally agree with the advice think what will kill them quickly and make that the priority. Good luck!
The problem with electrolyte imbalance is that it is not an approved NANDA nursing diagnosis, it is a medical diagnosis. It seems silly and not real world, but in nursing school, thems the rules.
I think the closest the OP can get is decreased cardiac output or decreased coronary perfusion.
pinaytoh
46 Posts
Electrolyte imbalance r/t hypokalemia and hypocalcemia- potassium and calcium will kill your patient first-may be why he/she is having seizure. So I would go with correcting that, then hopefully stops seizure, when you start your care plan-you will see that seizure precaution is included when caring for patient with hypocalcemia and hypokalemia; Risk for injury should cover fall (although falls is overrated per my instructors); Skin integrity may not be an issue for a 55 years old-depending on their level care- How about risk for deficient fluid r/t Cdiff