Use this guide to help you formulate nursing interventions for fatigue nursing care plan and
nursing diagnosis. Almost everybody is overtired or overworked from time to time. Words like lethargic, exhausted, tired and even ‘fatigue’ are always used when a symptom is difficult for the patient to describe. Fatigue is a subjective complaint with both acute and chronic conditions. It is the self-recognized state in which
an individual experiences an overwhelming sustained sense of exhaustion and decreased capacity for physical and mental work that is not relieved by rest. However, it is important to know that fatigue is not the same as tiredness. Tiredness is temporary. Fatigue is associated with a variety of physical and psychological conditions.
- Nursing Assessment for Fatigue
- Nursing Interventions for Fatigue
- Recommended Resources
- See also
Nursing Assessment for Fatigue
Assessment is required in order to identify potential problems that may have lead to Fatigue as well as name any episode that may happen during nursing care.
| Evaluate the patient’s description of fatigue: severity, changes in severity over time, aggregating factors or alleviating factors. | Using an appropriate quantitative scoring scale, 1 to 10 for example, can aid the patient to formulate the amount of fatigue experienced. Further scoring scales can be developed by using pictures or descriptive language. This system allows the nurse to weigh against changes in the patient’s fatigue level over time. It is important to conclude if the patient’s level of fatigue is constant or if it varies over time. |
Determine possible causes of fatigue, such as:
| Identifying the related factors with fatigue can benefit in recognizing potential causes and building a collaborative plan of care. |
| Assess the patient’s ability to perform ADLs, instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), and demands of daily living (DDLs). | Fatigue can restrict the patient’s ability to participate in self-care and do his or her role responsibilities in the family and society, such as working outside the home. |
| Assess the patient’s nutritional ingestion for adequate energy sources and metabolic demands. | Fatigue may be a symptom of protein-calorie malnutrition, vitamin deficiencies, or iron deficiencies. |
| Evaluate the patient’s outlook for fatigue relief, eagerness to participate in strategies to reduce fatigue, and level of family and social support. | These will promote active participation in planning, implementing, and evaluating therapeutic management to alleviate fatigue. Social support will be essential to assist the patient put into practice changes to decrease fatigue. |
Review results of laboratory or diagnostic test:
| Changes in these physiological measures may be associated with other measurement data to recognize possible sources of the patient’s fatigue. |
| Observe physiological reaction to activities such as any alterations in BP, respiratory rate, or heart rate. | Tolerance varies significantly, depending on the phase of the disease progression, nutrition condition, fluid balance, and quantity or sort of opportunistic diseases that patient has been subjected to. |
| Assess the patient’s typical level of exercise and physical movement. | Increased physical exertion and inadequate levels of exercise can add to fatigue. |
| Assess the patient’s sleep patterns for quality, quantity, time taken to fall asleep and feeling upon awakening and observe alteration in thought processes or behaviors. | Changes in the patient’s sleep pattern may be a contributing factor in the development of fatigue. Numerous factors can exacerbate fatigue, together with sleep deprivation, emotional distress, side effects of drugs, and progressing CNS disease. |
| Assess the patient’s routine recommendation and over-the-counter drugs. | Fatigue may be a medication side effect or an indication od a drug interaction. The nurse must perform particular notice to the patient’s utilization of beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, tranquilizers, alcohol, muscle relaxants, and sedatives. |
| Assess the patient’s emotional reaction to fatigue. | The common emotional responses associated with fatigue are anxiety and depression. These emotional conditions can increase the person’s fatigue level and produces a vicious cycle. |
Nursing Interventions for Fatigue
The following are the therapeutic nursing interventions for Fatigue:
| Restrict environmental stimuli, especially during planned times for rest and sleep. | Vivid lighting, noise, visitors, numerous distractions, and litter in the patient’s physical surroundings can limit relaxation, disturb rest or sleep, and contribute to fatigue. |
| Encourage the patient to maintain a 24-hour fatigue or activity log for at least 1 week. | Recognizing relationships between specific activities and levels of fatigue can aid the patient recognize unnecessary energy outflow. The log may indicate times of day when the person feels the least fatigued. This information can help the patient make choices about setting his or her activities to take advantage of episodes of high energy levels. |
Implement the use of assistive devices for ADLs and IADLs:
| Utilization of such devices can lessen energy expenditure and prevent injury with activities. |
| Aid the patient with developing a schedule for daily activity and rest. Emphasize the importance of frequent rest periods. | A plan that balances periods of activity with periods of rest can aid the patient complete preferred activities without contributing to levels of fatigue. |
| Teach energy conservation methods. Collaborate with occupational therapist as needed. | Patients and caregivers may need to learn skills for delegating tasks to others, setting priorities, and clustering care to use available energy to complete desired activities. Organization and time management can help the patient conserve energy and reduce fatigue. The occupational therapist can offer the patient with assistive devices and educate the patient energy conservation methods. |
| Assist the patient with setting priorities for preferred activities and role responsibilities. | Setting priorities is one sort of an energy conservation method that permits the patient to utilize available energy to complete important activities. Attaining desired goals can develop the patient’s mood and sense of emotional health. |
| Promote sufficient nutritional intake. | The patient will need properly balanced intake of fats, carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, and minerals to provide energy resources. |
| Encourage an exercise conditioning program as appropriate. | Fatigue caused by deconditioning and prolonged bed rest can be reduced through improved functional capacity using aerobic and muscle-strengthening exercise. |
| Provide comfort such as judicious touch or massage, and cool showers. | These may reduce nervous energy that lead to relaxation. |
| Encourage verbalization of feelings about the impact of fatigue. | Acknowledgement that living with fatigue is both physically and emotionally challenging helps in coping. |
| Offer diversional activities that are soothing. | This method allows the use of nervous energy in a positive manner and may lessen anxiety. |
| Identify energy conservation methods such as sitting and dividing ADLs into convenient segments. Assist with movement or self-care demands as appropriate. | Weakness can make ADLs almost not possible for patient to finish. Being with the patient prevents the patient from getting harm during activities. |
| Set practical activity goals with patient. | This offers a sense of control and feelings of achievement. |
| Stay away from topics that annoy or disturb patient. Converse ways to react to these feelings. | Increased irritability of the CNS can make the patient become easily excited, agitated, and prone to emotional outburst. |
| Educate the patient and family about task organization methods and time organization methods. | Organization and management of time can assist the patient save energy and avoid fatigue. |
| Support the patient in escalating levels of physical activity and exercise. | Exercise can reduce fatigue and assist the patient build stamina for physical activity. |
| Make the patient aware about the signs and symptoms of overexertion with activity. | Changes in heart rate, oxygen saturation, and respiratory rate will reflect the patient’s tolerance for activity. |
| Aid the patient develop habits to promote effective rest/sleep patterns. | Promoting relaxation before sleep and providing for several hours of uninterrupted sleep can contribute to energy restoration. |
Recommended Resources
Recommended nursing diagnosis and nursing care plan books and resources.
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- Nursing Care Plans: Nursing Diagnosis and Intervention (10th Edition)
An awesome book to help you create and customize effective nursing care plans. We highly recommend this book for its completeness and ease of use. - Nurse’s Pocket Guide: Diagnoses, Prioritized Interventions and Rationales
A quick-reference tool to easily select the appropriate nursing diagnosis to plan your patient’s care effectively. - NANDA International Nursing Diagnoses: Definitions & Classification, 2021-2023 (12th
Edition)
The official and definitive guide to nursing diagnoses as reviewed and approved by the NANDA-I. This book focuses on the nursing diagnostic labels, their defining characteristics, and risk factors – this does not include nursing interventions and rationales. - Nursing Diagnosis Handbook, 12th Edition Revised Reprint with 2021-2023 NANDA-I®
Updates
Another great nursing care plan resource that is updated to include the recent NANDA-I updates. - Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5(TM))
Useful for creating nursing care plans related to mental health and psychiatric nursing. - Ulrich & Canale’s Nursing Care Planning Guides, 8th Edition
Claims to have the most in-depth care plans of any nursing care planning book. Includes 31 detailed nursing diagnosis care plans and 63 disease/disorder care plans. - Maternal Newborn Nursing Care Plans (3rd Edition)
If you’re looking for specific care plans related to maternal and newborn nursing care, this book is for you. - Nursing Diagnosis Manual: Planning, Individualizing, and Documenting Client Care (7th Edition)
An easy-to-use nursing care plan book that is updated with the latest diagnosis from NANDA-I 2021-2023. - All-in-One Nursing Care Planning Resource: Medical-Surgical, Pediatric, Maternity, and Psychiatric-Mental Health (5th Edition)
Definitely an all-in-one resources for nursing care planning. It has over 100 care plans for different nursing topics.
See also
Other recommended site resources for this nursing care plan:
- Nursing Care Plans (NCP): Ultimate Guide and Database MUST READ!
Over 150+ nursing care plans for different diseases and conditions. Includes our easy-to-follow guide on how to create nursing care plans from scratch. - Nursing Diagnosis Guide and List: All You Need to Know to Master Diagnosing
Our comprehensive guide on how to create and write diagnostic labels. Includes detailed nursing care plan guides for common nursing diagnostic labels.
Gil Wayne graduated in 2008 with a bachelor of science in nursing. He earned his license to practice as a registered nurse during the same year. His drive for educating people stemmed from working as a community health nurse. He conducted first aid training and health seminars and workshops for teachers, community members, and local groups. Wanting to reach a bigger audience in teaching, he is now a writer and contributor for Nurseslabs since 2012 while working part-time as a nurse instructor. His goal is to expand his horizon in nursing-related topics. He wants to guide the next generation of nurses to achieve their goals and empower the nursing profession.
What is a nursing diagnosis for nausea?
Patients with nausea are at risk for deficient fluid volume as this symptom is often accompanied by vomiting. With vomiting, electrolyte imbalances can occur. Nursing Diagnosis: Risk for Deficient Fluid Volume.
What is the nursing diagnosis of dizziness?
There is another medical term for dizziness which is vertigo or BPPV (benign paroxysmal position al vertigo), a medical diagnosis in which a patient common experiences a spinning sensation inside their head which can be accompanied by nausea or vomiting which can be a sign of it.
What are the 3 parts of the nursing diagnosis PES?
The three-part nursing diagnosis statement is also called the PES format which includes the Problem, Etiology, and Signs and Symptoms.
When a nurse prioritize the patient care consideration is given to?
When a nurse prioritizes the patient care, consideration is given to: considering situations that may result in an alteration of health. When the nurse checks to see whether a patient has had relief 45 minutes after administering pain medication, the nurse is performing a(n): evaluation.