This nursing care plan is for patients who have renal failure. Renal failure is where a patient’s kidneys lose the ability to remove toxins and waste from the body. Due to this the body will build up excess levels of potassium, calcium, phosphate, creatinine, urea, and anemia.
This can be deadly to a patient if these excess levels are not removed. Hemodialysis may be ordered by a doctor to help removes excess creatinine, urea, and water from the body.
Renal failure can be caused by many things such as drug toxicity, uncontrolled diabetes or hypertension, genetic predisposition, virus, or infection etc.
Below is a nursing care plan with diagnosis and nursing interventions/goals for patients with renal failure.
What are nursing care plans? How do you develop a nursing care plan? What nursing care plan book do you recommend helping you develop a nursing care plan?
This care plan is listed to give an example of how a Nurse (LPN or RN) may plan to treat a patient with those conditions.
Important Disclosure: Please keep in mind that these care plans are listed for Example/Educational purposes only, and some of these treatments may change over time. Do not treat a patient based on this care plan.
Care Plans are often developed in different formats. The formatting isn’t always important, and care plan formatting may vary among different nursing schools or medical jobs. Some hospitals may have the information displayed in digital format, or use pre-made templates. The most important part of the care plan is the content, as that is the foundation on which you will base your care.
Nursing Care Plan for Renal Failure
If you want to view a video tutorial on how to construct a care plan in nursing school, please view the video below. Otherwise, scroll down to view this completed care plan.
Scenario
A 65 year old patient is admitted with renal failure. The patient is alert and oriented times 3. The patient reports he decided to go to his doctor’s office because he has been unable to “pee” for the past 4 days and he was sent here to the ER. He states he has “may be peed three drops” of urine over the past 4 days and that the “drops” were very dark brown. The patient also states he has been forcing fluids because he thought may be he was dehydrated but says that the fluids seems to be going into his legs and he has gained 12 lbs over the past 3 days. He states he normally weighs 165 lbs. You note the patient has 4+ pitting edema in his legs and fine crackles through out his lungs. The patients VS are BP 180/110, HR 85, oxygen saturation 91% on RA, Temp 99.6, and RR 19. The patient labs are Potassium 6.0, Hgb 8.0, Hct 29.3, BUN 6.5, and Creat 52. The MD ordered for the patient to have dialysis today.
Nursing Diagnosis
Excess fluid volume related to compromised regulatory mechanisms secondary to acute renal failure as evidence by peripheral edema and weight gain.
Subjective Data
Patient reports he decided to go to his doctor’s office because he has been unable to “pee” for the past 4 days and he was sent here to the ER. He states he has “may be peed three drops” of urine over the past 4 days and that the “drops” were very dark brown. The patient also states he has been forcing fluids because he thought may be he was dehydrated but says that the fluids seems to be going into his legs and he has gained 12 lbs over the past 3 days.
Objective Data
A 65 year old patient is admitted with renal failure. The patient is alert and oriented times 3. You note the patient has 4+ pitting edema in his legs and fine crackles through out his lungs. The patients VS are BP 180/110, HR 85, oxygen saturation 91% on RA, Temp 99.6, and RR 19. The patient labs are Potassium 6.0, Hgb 8.0, Hct 29.3, BUN 6.5, and Creat 52. The MD ordered for the patient to have dialysis today.
Nursing Outcomes
-The patient will have negative or equal intake and output during hospitalization.
-The patient will have decreased peripheral edema of 1+ or less within 48 hours.
-The patient will have 30 cc or greater of urinary output during a 24 hour period.
-The patients BUN and creatinine will be within normal range within 36 hours.
-The patient will weigh 165lbs or less by discharge.
-The patient will verbalized the importance of daily weights and limiting salt intake by discharge.
-The patient will name 5 foods that contain high salt intake to avoid by discharge.
-The patient will verbalize understanding about how hemodialysis works before dialysis.
Nursing Interventions
-The nurse will monitor the patient intake and output every shift.
-The nurse will assess the patient’s peripheral edema every shift.
-The nurse will monitor the patients urinary output every shift.
-The nurse (if needed per md order) will place foley catheter to monitor urinary output more closely.
-The nurse will call any abnormal BUN and creatinine result to the md.
-The nurse will weigh the patient daily.
-The nurse will educate the patient about the importance of daily weights and limiting salt intake by discharge.
-The nurse will educate the patient about 5 foods that contain high salt intake to avoid by discharge.
-The nurse will educate the patient about how hemodialysis works before patient has dialysis.