A patient lives in a rural area and requires frequent appointments related to their health condition. Which of the following interventions should the nurse facilitate?

A. Check the patient's urinalysis. While a urinalysis may provide useful information (e.g., infection, kidney function), it does not address the immediate concern—significantly decreased urine output despite adequate intake. The priority is to determine urinary retention first.

B. Notify the provider of the patient's pain 7/10. While pain management is important, the more critical issue is the drastically low urine output (150mL in 12 hours), which could indicate acute urinary retention or renal dysfunction. Addressing the urinary issue should come first.

C. Perform a bladder scan. The low urine output (150mL in 12 hours) despite sufficient intake (2150mL) suggests potential urinary retention. A bladder scan is the quickest and least invasive way to determine if the patient has a full bladder that needs intervention (e.g., catheterization). This is the priority before further testing or notifying the provider.

D. Assess the daily weight. Daily weight monitoring is helpful for fluid status assessment, especially in cases of heart failure or kidney disease, but it is not the most immediate priority. The primary concern is whether the patient has urinary retention, which requires urgent evaluation.

A. Obtain daily urine specimens by opening the collection drainage system: Opening the drainage system increases the risk of introducing bacteria into the catheter, which can lead to infection.

B. Keep the urine collection bag below the level of the bladder at all times: Keeping the bag below the bladder prevents urine from back flowing into the bladder, which reduces the risk of infection.

C. Retract the foreskin to clean the catheter tubing and meatus outward, leaving the foreskin retracted: While the foreskin should be retracted for cleaning, it must always be returned to its normal position to prevent paraphimosis, a condition where the foreskin becomes trapped and restricts blood flow.

D. Change the indwelling catheter at least every one week: Routine catheter changes are not recommended unless there is an indication such as obstruction or infection. Unnecessary changes increase infection risk.