The nurse is taking care of a client who states that he ignores the urge to defecate when he is at work. Which of the following responses by the nurse would explain why this practice should be changed?

Question

1. "If you continue to ignore the urge to defecate, the urge is ultimately lost.".
2. "It is better to suppress the urge than to suffer embarrassment at work.".
3. "This is a common practice, and it will strengthen the reflex later.".
4. "You will get the urge later; don't worry.".

Answer 1

1. "If you continue to ignore the urge to defecate, the urge is ultimately lost.".

Rationale:
When the normal defecation reflexes are inhibited, these conditioned reflexes tend to be progressively weakened. When the urge to defecate is ignored, water continues to be reabsorbed, making the feces hard and difficult to expel. Ignoring the urge repeatedly will eventually cause the urge to be lost. Embarrassment, while unwarranted, is preferable to losing the urge to defecate. Ignoring the urge will not strengthen the reflex later; it will weaken it.