Assessment of a Patient Nursing Practice Question
The nurse creates a plan of care for a client with a spica cast that covers a lower extremity. Which action should the nurse include in the plan of care to promote bowel elimination?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: A client with a spica cast (body cast) that covers a lower extremity cannot bend at the hips to sit up. A low-profile bedpan or fracture pan is designed for use by clients with body or leg casts and for clients who have difficulty raising the hips to use a standard bedpan; therefore, using a commode or the bathroom is contraindicated. Daily enemas are not a part of routine care.