Study Guide for Fundamentals of Nursing Care: Concepts, Connections & Skills - Urinary Elimination and Care Related

Review Study Guide for Fundamentals of Nursing Care: Concepts, Connections & Skills - Urinary Elimination and Care related questions and content

You are caring for a patient with an indwelling catheter. You have an order to discontinue the catheter this morning. The patient also has had an IV infusing at 100 mL/hr through the night. The patient is taking liquids and eating ice chips. At 7:00 a.m., you notice that the output on the previous shift was 290 mL of dark amber urine and the patient's intake totaled 960 mL. Which action will you take?

  • A. Get an order to irrigate the catheter prior to discontinuing it.
  • B. Wait to discontinue the catheter until you can speak with the physician on morning rounds.
  • C. Discontinue the catheter and discontinue the order for intake and output because the patient no longer has a tube in place.
  • D. Perform a bladder scan to determine if the patient has a large amount of residual urine in the bladder.
Correct Answer: B

Rationale: Low output (290 mL) compared to high intake (960 mL) and dark amber urine suggest possible retention or dehydration, warranting physician consultation.