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Nursing Interventions:
1. Assess patient and try to determine cause of constipation.
2. Find out what is normal bowel
movement for patient. (i.e. every
day, every other day)
3. Help client return to normal BM
status.
4. Give stool softeners/laxatives as
prescribed by MD.
5. Educate wellness and diet
considerations to help patient return to normal BM status.
6. Educate patient on other forms of
pain management in order to help reduce need/dependency on narcotics.
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Rationale:
1. Assessment provides baseline and
history to help determine cause.
2. The nurse must know what is
normal for the patient.
3. Encourage fluids and high fiber foods to promote colon health and passage of
bodily waste.
4. Stool softeners and laxatives
promote passage of waste.
5. Regular activity and healthy high
fiber fruits, vegetables and grains promote healthy stool consistency.
6. Relaxation techniques help with
pain management. Also music and
other distractions.
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Client Response:
1. Patient states no BM for over 2
weeks and has had previous issues with constipation but never this long.
2. Patient states he usually has BM
every other day; very rarely every day.
3. At this time client is on a clear
liquid diet in order to have colonoscopy.
4. Patient states no improvement
with stool softeners/laxatives at this time.
5. Patient states he is a picky
eater and can’t exercise due to back and leg pain.
6. Patient states the only thing
that helps him are his medications.
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