Question

A 77-year-old woman who is 5 feet 3 inches tall and weighs 89 lbs has been admitted to the hospital with a diagnosis of failure to thrive. what action should the nurse prioritize when addressing the woman's apparent lack of nutrition?

Answer 1

need to assess reason for weight loss

Answer 2

Answer:

The nurse must evaluate the reasons behind the poor nutritional status of the patient.

Explanation:

The patient shown in the question above is showing a severe picture of malnutrition. It is important that the nurse assesses the reasons behind the patient's poor nutritional status before starting treatment. This is because this state of malnutrition may be caused by a number of different problems and these problems will need to be resolved to enable the patient to return to her ideal weight and obtain adequate nutrition for her organs.