Final answer:
Prioritizing fluid and electrolyte balance is essential for a patient with a small bowel obstruction to prevent severe dehydration and manage symptoms such as nausea and vomiting.
Step-by-step explanation:
The nurse's care for a patient diagnosed with a small bowel obstruction should prioritize maintaining fluid and electrolyte balance. This is crucial as small bowel obstructions can lead to severe dehydration and electrolyte imbalances, which can have widespread effects on the body's physiological functions. Additionally, ensuring fluid and electrolyte balance can help mitigate other complications of bowel obstructions, such as preventing nausea and vomiting, which are symptoms that can worsen dehydration.
While preventing infection and maintaining skin and tissue integrity are important outcomes, they are secondary in the acute phase of managing a small bowel obstruction. It is also important to note that careful antibiotic use is necessary to reduce the risk of causing C. difficile infections and when treating antibiotic-resistant infections, as referenced from the given information.