Second-order priority setting, question.

morte, LPN, LVN · Nov 17, 2008

not familiar with this term. googled "second-order+priority+nursing" there is an article in "JONA" journal of nursing admin.. but you need a subs. ..good luck

LovingLearning · Nov 17, 2008

An example of a second-order priority is:
A. The need to urinate.
B. An obstructed airway.
C. A decrease of 28 mmHg in systolic BP
D. Activities of daily living in the home environment.
I'm almost forced to choose D because all the others seem like first-order priority setting.
Any help is appreciated. Thanks!

i'm just a first semester student nurse, as well, but the way we were taught was if it's not vital to living, it's not first order. abc's, which are 'b' and 'c', but not 'a' or 'd'. adls are not terribly important at the moment, not knowing the rest of the scenario, so i'd say it would be 'a', the need to urinate. we can foley cath to address that; it won't kill you immediately if you don't urinate right now. urinating is definitely something we want to address asap, once the airway is cleared and the bp has stabilized...and it ranks above adls in mazlow's heirarchy. so that's why i'd choose 'a' as second order.

please let me know if i'm wrong...like i said, i'm a student nurse first semester...so i could be wrong.

best-

lovin' learning

birdgardner · Nov 17, 2008

First level -ABCs, critical vital signs

Second - MAAUAR

Mental status change

Acute pain

Acute urinary elimination problem

Untreated medical problem req imm attn - ex. DKA

Abnormal labs

Risk infection, safety, security

Third - everything else

jjjoy, LPN · Nov 17, 2008

We never had that presented in school. It sounds like a good categorization scheme for prioritizing... much more readily applicable and clinically useful from the get-go than much of what WAS presented unfortunately!