9.8: Learning Activities
The nurse is performing a daily assessment on a patient who had hip surgery a few days ago. The patient reports she has not had a bowel movement since prior to admission three days ago. The nurse forms a hypothesis that the patient is constipated.
1. What subjective data should the nurse plan to obtain during the assessment to investigate “cues” regarding the potential hypothesis of constipation?
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Lactose intolerance
- Bloating
2. What objective data should the nurse plan to obtain during the assessment to investigate “cues” regarding the potential hypothesis of constipation?
- Bowel sounds
- Skin integrity
- Abdominal pulsations
- Bladder distention
3. The nurse discovers the following findings during the assessment. Which should be reported to the provider?
- The patient’s abdomen appears flat and symmetric.
- There are hypoactive bowel sounds in all quadrants.
- Firmness is palpated in left lower quadrant.
- There is a scar from a previous appendectomy.
4. The nurse calls the provider and reports the assessment findings supporting the hypothesis of constipation. A new order for Milk of Magnesia 30 mL PO is obtained and the medication is administered. A few hours later, the patient has a large bowel movement. Write a focused DAR or SOAP note documenting the patient’s constipation status.
Practice creating documentation for this learning activity.