Question

You are the nurse caring for the following 6 patients:

1.      Mr. Jones - 2 days post-op bowel resection has been stable to date

2.      Jennifer - a fresh post-op from hysterectomy yesterday

3.      Jacob - 74 year old failure to thrive, hard of hearing, waiting for hospice

4.      Mrs. Calloway - 63 year old with unstable angina awaiting coronary bypass this AM on telemetry

5.      Ms. Bronson - 24 year old alcoholic with active GI bleeding and an Naso gastric tube

6.      Carl - 89 year old with hip fracture repair in acute pain requesting pain medication

Discussion: identify in order of priority, who would see first, second, third, etc. and why?

Answer 1

Mr. Carl demand for pain medication will be given the first priority because he is aged and postoperative pain should be gitreated on priority as it can cause other complications.

Secondly Mr. Bronson with active GI bleeding. The bleeding is active and patient need timely aspiration of NG tube. The vitals to be monitored to assess any signs of hypovolemic shock and abdominal girth to be monitored

Mrs. Jennifer will be given third priority. Because she is in immediate post-op and need to check for excess bleeding, vitals, complications of anesthesia, vital signs etc