When assessing the older adult for bowel health, the nurse is most effective in obtaining subjective data when asking
a. "Would you describe your bowel move-ments as usually normal?"
b. "Do you have a problem with constipa-tion?"
c. "How often do you usually have a bowel movement?"
d. "Have your bowel movements changed recently?"
C
Subjective data can be obtained through the health history. Asking the patient to identify how often the bowels move would establish the fundamental baseline of the patient's elimination pat-terns. "Normal" is a vague term that should not be used. Asking if there are problems with con-stipation or if bowel habits have changed are yes/no questions, which are generally avoided.
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