Framework for Health Assessment

2. 11 Gordon’s Functional Health Patterns

2.3. Elimination Pattern

Determine the adequacy of the client's bowel and bladder. The client's bowel and urinary habits. Identify Bowel or urinary problems, such as use of urinary or bowel elimination devices.

Bowel Habits
  • How frequent are your bowel movements?
  • Do you use laxatives? What kind and how often do you use them?
  • Do you use enemas or suppositories? How often and what kind?
  • Do you have any discomfort with your bowel movements? Describe.
Bladder Habits
  • How frequently do you urinate?
  • What is the amount and color of your urine?
  • Do you have any of the following problems with urinating:
  • Pain? Blood in urine? Difficulty starting a stream? Incontinence? Voiding frequently at night? Voiding frequently during day?
Bladder infections?
  • Have you ever had a urinary catheter? Describe. When? How long?
Wellness Diagnoses
  • Opportunity to enhance adequate bowel elimination pattern
  • Opportunity to enhance adequate urinary elimination pattern
Risk Diagnoses
  • Risk for constipation
  • Risk for altered urinary elimination
Actual Diagnoses
  • Altered Bowel Elimination Constipation
  • Diarrhea
  • Bowel Incontinence
  • Altered Urinary Elimination Patterns of Urinary Retention
  • Total Incontinence
  • Stress Incontinence