A school nurse is performing annual height and weight screening. The nurse notes that three adolescent girls who are close friends each lost 15 pounds over the past year. Which is the priority nursing action?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The priority nursing action in this situation is to obtain a nutritional history for each of the adolescents who lost 15 pounds. This will help the nurse to determine if the weight loss is due to healthy lifestyle choices or potentially problematic eating behaviors. Referring the adolescents to a school psychologist or discussing their eating patterns with their parents may be appropriate actions, but the first step should be to assess their nutritional status. Speaking with the adolescents as a group about anorexia nervosa without individual assessments could potentially cause harm or embarrassment.

A School Nurse Is Performing Annual Height and Weight Screening