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The experienced nurse on a medical-surgical unit is supervising a new nurse who is caring for a client with constipation. Which action by the new nurse would cause the experienced nurse to intervene?

a) Administering a stool softener as ordered
b) Encouraging increased fluid intake
c) Allowing the client to remain sedentary
d) Providing dietary fiber-rich foods

User Shrabanee
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

An experienced nurse would intervene if a new nurse allows a constipation patient to remain sedentary, as physical activity aids bowel movements. Appropriate actions include administering stool softeners, increasing fluids, and providing fiber-rich foods.

Step-by-step explanation:

The experienced nurse on a medical-surgical unit who is supervising a new nurse would need to intervene if the new nurse allows the client with constipation to remain sedentary. Physical activity is known to help stimulate bowel movements. Therefore, the correct actions to manage constipation include: Administering a stool softener as ordered by the physician, encouraging the client to increase fluid intake which helps to soften stools, and providing dietary fiber-rich foods that can help to increase stool bulk and promote passage through the digestive system.

It's worth noting that in the treatment of certain conditions such as Clostridium difficile (C. difficile), other approaches like fecal transplants have shown a high success rate in restoring the gut microbiota and resolving infections, though this is generally not a treatment for common constipation.

User Keaplogik
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