Constipation Nursing Diagnosis & Care Plan

Nursing care plans enhance the care provided to patients throughout their healthcare journey. By integrating a care plan, nurses can provide individualized treatment and comprehensive education to patients and their families.

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What is Constipation?

Constipation, according to the Mayo Clinic, is the problem of passing stools, meaning an individual passes less than three stools a week or is having a difficult time passing stool.¹

Constipation Symptoms

• Hard, dry stools
• Straining or pain when stooling
• Feeling the rectum is blocked
• Feeling stool still in bowels
• Feeling bloated or nauseated

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Constipation Risk Factors

• Women, especially during pregnancy and post-partum
• Older adults, over the age of 65
• Individuals with gastrointestinal diseases
• Individuals who take specific medications, including narcotics
• Lack of fiber in diet
• Non-Caucasians
• Lack of physical exercise
• Stress
• Abdominal muscle weakness
• Dehydration
• Diet including large amounts of milk and/or cheese²

Types of Constipation

There are two types of constipation:

1. Primary constipation is classified as a slow transit or outlet dysfunction.
2. Secondary constipation is caused by dehydration, neurological disorders, structural abnormalities, and/or medications.

Primary constipation consists of three categories:

1. Functional constipation: Relates to irritable bowel syndrome
2. Slowed transit constipation: Delays in bowel movements
3. Outlet dysfunction: Results from anal sphincter dysfunction, pelvic floor muscle weakness, and/or rectoceles

Secondary constipation relates to diet, lifestyle, and/or medications.³

Image Source: Cabot Health, Bristol Stool Chart, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

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How is Constipation Treated?

Depending on the severity and the root cause, constipation can be treated in various ways. The most common treatment options include:

• Increase water intake
• Watch fiber intake
• Dietary modifications
• Stool softeners and laxatives (as managed by a medical provider)
• Exercise regularly
• Reduce stress 
• Surgery⁴ (Cleveland Clinic)

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How to Develop a Constipation Nursing Care Plan

Developing a nursing care plan helps nurses and other healthcare professionals ensure that short-term and long-term goals for the patient are met. 

The first consideration when developing a nursing care plan for constipation is to determine a patient’s goals. While parts of the nursing care plan are things you come up with, the nursing diagnosis must be on the NANDA-I approved nursing diagnosis list. 

According to the North American Nursing Diagnosis Association (NANDA),  a nursing diagnosis is “a clinical judgment about the human response to health conditions/life processes, or a vulnerability for that response, by an individual, family, group or community.”

A nursing diagnosis is rooted in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs pyramid and helps prioritize treatments. Based on the nursing diagnosis, you’ll set goals to resolve your patient’s problems through nursing implementations determined in the next step.

NANDA-I separates nursing diagnoses into four categories:

1. Problem-focused: A diagnosis based on patient problems present during a nursing assessment.
2. Risk: A diagnosis based on risk factors that require intervention from a nurse or healthcare team before a real problem develops.
3. Health promotion: A diagnosis that intends to improve the overall well-being of an individual, family, or community.
4. Syndrome: Based on a cluster of nursing diagnoses that occur in a pattern or can all be addressed through the same or similar nursing interventions.

Determining the most important goals for the patient and the corresponding nursing diagnosis provides the basis to create a constipation care plan that can best support the patient while reaching those goals.

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Constipation Nursing Care Plan Components

A nursing care plan has several key components, including: 

• Nursing Diagnosis
• Expected outcome
• Nursing interventions and rationales
• Evaluation

Each of the five main components is essential to the overall nursing process and care plan. A properly written care plan must include these sections. Otherwise, it won’t make sense.

• Nursing diagnosis: A clinical judgment that helps nurses determine the plan of care for their patients.
• Expected outcome: The measurable action for a patient to be achieved in a specific time frame. 
• Nursing interventions and rationales: Actions to be taken to achieve expected outcomes and reasoning behind them.
• Evaluation: Determines the effectiveness of the nursing interventions and determines if expected outcomes are met within the time set.

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Constipation Nursing Care Plan Examples

All nursing diagnoses must be NANDA-I approved and have corresponding definitions to help guide nurses in writing a nursing care plan.⁵

Other Nursing Care Plans

• Hypertension Nursing Care Plan
• Acute Pain Nursing Care Plan
• Infection Nursing Care Plan

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References

¹ Mayo Clinic. n.d. “Constipation.” Constipation. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/constipation/symptoms-causes/syc-20354253.

² “Definition & Facts for Constipation.” n.d. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/constipation/definition-facts.

³ Diaz, Sorangel. n.d. “Constipation.” Natioanl Library of Medicine. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK513291/.

⁴ Cleveland Clinic. n.d. “Constipation.” Constipation. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/4059-constipation#management-and-treatment.

⁵ Herdman, T. H., Shigemi Kamitsuru, and Camila Lopes, eds. 2024. NANDA-I International Nursing Diagnoses: Definitions & Classification, 2024-2026. 13th ed. N.p.: Thieme Medical Publishers.

⁶ Cleveland Clinic. n.d. “Fecal Impaction.” Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/23085-fecal-impaction.

⁷ Ernstmeyer, Kimberly, and Elizabeth Christman. 2021. Nursing Fundamentals 2e. Eau Claire, Wisconsin: Chippewa Valley Technical College. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK591823/.

*This website is provided for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute providing medical advice or professional services. The information provided should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease.

Nursing Care Plan