Question

A nurse is calculating the urine output of a 26-pound patient. In the past 8 hours, the patient has 3 voids charted:

0930 - 32ml
1130 - 22ml
1315 - 44ml
What action should the nurse take next?
A) Calculate the total urine output
B) Administer a diuretic
C) Document the voids and take no further action
D) Collect another urine sample

Answer 1

The nurse should calculate the total urine output by adding the volumes from the three voids. It is important to ensure the patient's urine output aligns with the normal range required to excrete bodily wastes.

Step-by-step explanation:

The first action the nurse should take after recording the urine output of a patient is A) Calculate the total urine output. The measurements provided for the three voids at 0930 (32ml), 1130 (22ml), and 1315 (44ml) should be added together to find the total volume of urine output. The normal range of urine production is 1 to 2 liters per day, with a minimum requirement of about 500 mL/day for the excretion of bodily wastes. Assessing whether the patient's urine output falls within the normal range or indicates conditions such as oliguria or polyuria is important for determining appropriate patient care.