Watch More! Unlock the full videos with a FREE trial
Add to Study plan
Master
Included In This Lesson
Study Tools
Ectopic Pregnancy (Picmonic)
Ectopic Pregnancy Pathochart (Cheat Sheet)
Example Care Plan_Ectopic Pregnancy (Cheat Sheet)
Blank Nursing Care Plan_CS (Cheat Sheet)
Ectopic Pregnancy Laparascopic View (Image)
Ectopic Pregnancy (Image)
OB, Ectopic Pregnancy, Ectopic, Pregnancy Complications (Image)
Access More! View the full outline and transcript with a FREE trial
Example Nursing Diagnosis for Ectopic Pregnancy
- Acute Pain: Ectopic pregnancy often presents with severe abdominal pain. This diagnosis addresses pain management as a priority.
- Risk for Hemorrhage: Ectopic pregnancy can lead to rupture and internal bleeding. This diagnosis highlights the risk and the need for preventive measures.
- Anxiety: Patients with an ectopic pregnancy may experience anxiety about the potential loss of pregnancy and the surgical intervention required.
Transcript
Hi everyone today, we're going to be creating a nursing care plan for ectopic pregnancy. So let's get started. First, we're going to be going over the pathophysiology. So an ectopic pregnancy is when the fertilized egg, the zygote, attaches or implants and begins to grow in an area other than the uterus. This most often occurs in the fallopian tube, but can be in other areas such as the cervix, ovary, or abdominal cavity. Some nursing considerations: you want to assess vital signs, signs of dehydration, abdominal discomfort or tenderness, bleeding, administering medications, and preparing the patient for surgery. Some desired outcomes. The patient will be free from pain and complications.
So we're going to go ahead and get into the care plan. We're going to be writing down some subjective data and some objective data. So what are we going to see with these patients? So some subjective data that we'll see is some nausea and weakness. Some objective data. There's going to be some vaginal bleeding, tachycardia, and hypotension. There’s an absence of a menstrual cycle. Some dizziness weakness, some lower abdominal pain. If the fallopian tube ruptures, you'll see a patient that will have fainting, hypotension, shoulder pain, and rectal pressure.
So interventions, you want to make sure that we're assessing the vital signs. So we want to make sure we're checking the blood pressure, the heart rate, respiration, and temperature. If an ectopic pregnancy occurs in the fallopian tube that ruptures, the patient may go into shock and will have a rapid heart rate, rapid breathing, and low blood pressure. Another intervention is we want to assess for signs of dehydration. So you're going to be checking skin turgor, mucous membranes, or capillary refill. Usually, excessive blood loss and vomiting will cause hypovolemia and dehydration. So we want to give some IV fluids, our isotonic solution, and be able to hydrate and establish good renal function for the patient. We want to make sure we're positioning the patient for comfort and assisting with movement as needed. So we want to make sure that we have them in a comfortable position. Patients should be positioned, lying flat on the bed to reduce movement, stabilize vitals, and promote comfort. We want to make sure we're assessing for any sort of abdominal pain and tenderness. So for pain for these patients, pain may vary, but is usually a sign that ectopic pregnancy or the fallopian tube has ruptured. So if they're having a lot of pain, you want to immediately think about rupture; patients will report stabbing or sharp pain in the lower abdomen with full intensity. Another intervention is we want to make sure we're monitoring blood loss and administer blood products as necessary. So, how much blood loss? Vaginal bleeding may range from spotting to having heavier than normal menstrual cycles. We want to administer medications as appropriate. One medication we may give these patients is methotrexate. It may be given to absorb the pregnancy tissue and save the fallopian tube. We can also do anti nausea medication and analgesics for the pain. We want to make sure we're preparing the patient for surgery. You want to maintain NPO status. You want to make sure we're inserting a Foley catheter. We want to make sure that we have established and maintain an IV access for fluids and or any medications we might be giving them. If the fallopian tube is ruptured, surgery to remove part or all of the tube may be the best option for the patient. Surgery may be performed laparoscopically, or it may be not done laparoscopically. It might be a laparotomy that may be completed for the patient.
All right, we're going to move on to the key points. So it is a fertilized egg that attaches or implants and begins to grow in another area other than the uterus. This can be caused by endometriosis, scar tissue, or inflammation. Some subjective or objective data. You'll see some nausea, weakness, dizziness, lower abdominal pain, vaginal bleeding, or spotting, tachycardia, hypertension. We want to assess their vital signs, signs of dehydration, abdominal pain, and tenderness monitoring for any sort of blood loss. We want to make sure we're administering medications as needed and prepping the patient for surgery. And there you have a completed care plan.
You guys did amazing. Hope you guys are having a great day. Go out, be your best self today. And as always happy nursing.
So we're going to go ahead and get into the care plan. We're going to be writing down some subjective data and some objective data. So what are we going to see with these patients? So some subjective data that we'll see is some nausea and weakness. Some objective data. There's going to be some vaginal bleeding, tachycardia, and hypotension. There’s an absence of a menstrual cycle. Some dizziness weakness, some lower abdominal pain. If the fallopian tube ruptures, you'll see a patient that will have fainting, hypotension, shoulder pain, and rectal pressure.
So interventions, you want to make sure that we're assessing the vital signs. So we want to make sure we're checking the blood pressure, the heart rate, respiration, and temperature. If an ectopic pregnancy occurs in the fallopian tube that ruptures, the patient may go into shock and will have a rapid heart rate, rapid breathing, and low blood pressure. Another intervention is we want to assess for signs of dehydration. So you're going to be checking skin turgor, mucous membranes, or capillary refill. Usually, excessive blood loss and vomiting will cause hypovolemia and dehydration. So we want to give some IV fluids, our isotonic solution, and be able to hydrate and establish good renal function for the patient. We want to make sure we're positioning the patient for comfort and assisting with movement as needed. So we want to make sure that we have them in a comfortable position. Patients should be positioned, lying flat on the bed to reduce movement, stabilize vitals, and promote comfort. We want to make sure we're assessing for any sort of abdominal pain and tenderness. So for pain for these patients, pain may vary, but is usually a sign that ectopic pregnancy or the fallopian tube has ruptured. So if they're having a lot of pain, you want to immediately think about rupture; patients will report stabbing or sharp pain in the lower abdomen with full intensity. Another intervention is we want to make sure we're monitoring blood loss and administer blood products as necessary. So, how much blood loss? Vaginal bleeding may range from spotting to having heavier than normal menstrual cycles. We want to administer medications as appropriate. One medication we may give these patients is methotrexate. It may be given to absorb the pregnancy tissue and save the fallopian tube. We can also do anti nausea medication and analgesics for the pain. We want to make sure we're preparing the patient for surgery. You want to maintain NPO status. You want to make sure we're inserting a Foley catheter. We want to make sure that we have established and maintain an IV access for fluids and or any medications we might be giving them. If the fallopian tube is ruptured, surgery to remove part or all of the tube may be the best option for the patient. Surgery may be performed laparoscopically, or it may be not done laparoscopically. It might be a laparotomy that may be completed for the patient.
All right, we're going to move on to the key points. So it is a fertilized egg that attaches or implants and begins to grow in another area other than the uterus. This can be caused by endometriosis, scar tissue, or inflammation. Some subjective or objective data. You'll see some nausea, weakness, dizziness, lower abdominal pain, vaginal bleeding, or spotting, tachycardia, hypertension. We want to assess their vital signs, signs of dehydration, abdominal pain, and tenderness monitoring for any sort of blood loss. We want to make sure we're administering medications as needed and prepping the patient for surgery. And there you have a completed care plan.
You guys did amazing. Hope you guys are having a great day. Go out, be your best self today. And as always happy nursing.
View the FULL Transcript
When you start a FREE trial you gain access to the full outline as well as:
- SIMCLEX (NCLEX Simulator)
- 6,500+ Practice NCLEX Questions
- 2,000+ HD Videos
- 300+ Nursing Cheatsheets
“Would suggest to all nursing students . . . Guaranteed to ease the stress!”
