3 Hypothyroidism Nursing Care Plans

Imbalanced Nutrition: More Than Body Requirements

Patients with hypothyroidism have a slower metabolic rate, which can lead to weight gain and a higher caloric intake than necessary. This results in imbalanced nutrition, where the body is receiving more nutrients than it needs, leading to potential health complications such as obesity, high blood pressure, and elevated cholesterol levels. Nursing care plans for hypothyroidism patients aim to address this imbalance through dietary interventions and monitoring of nutritional status.

Nursing Diagnosis

• Imbalanced Nutrition: More Than Body Requirements

May be related to

• Greater intake than metabolic needs.

Possibly evidenced by

• Decreased appetite.
• Sedentary activity level.
• Weight gain.

Desired Outcomes

• The client will maintain a stable weight and takes in necessary nutrients.

Nursing Assessment and Rationale

1. Assess the client’s weight.
Due to excess fluid volume and low basal metabolic rate, clients with hypothyroidism experience weight gain and difficulty losing extra weight

2. Assess the client’s appetite.
Clients with hypothyroidism have decreased appetite. This opposite relationship between weight gain and decreased appetite is a manifestation finding in hypothyroidism.

3. Provide a food diary to the client.
Looking into the client’s food intake over the 24 hours will provide baseline data for an individualized nutritional plan for the client’s changing metabolic needs.

Nursing Interventions and Rationales

1. Educate the client and family regarding body weight changes in hypothyroidism.
Teaching the client and family will make them understand the opposite relationship between appetite and weight gain in hypothyroidism. During the start of thyroid hormone replacement therapy, the client can experience loss of weight. However, there will be an increase in appetite. This change may require a calorie-controlled diet to prevent additional weight gain.

2. Collaborate with a dietician to determine client’s caloric needs.
The dietician can calculate the appropriate caloric requirements to maintain nutrient intake and achieve a stable weight.

3. Encourage the client to eat six small meals throughout the day.
This will make sure that the client has an adequate intake of nutrients in the client with decreased energy levels.

4. Provide assistance and encouragement as needed during mealtime.
Due to a decrease in energy levels, the client will need support to ensure an adequate intake of essential nutrients.

5. Encourage the intake of foods rich in fiber.
Hypothyroidism slows the action of the digestive tract causing constipation.

6. Encourage the client to follow a low-cholesterol, low-calorie, low-saturated-fat diet.
When thyroid hormone levels are low, the body doesn’t break down and remove bad cholesterol as efficiently as usual; Also, since the client has a slow metabolism, he/she requires fewer calories to support the metabolic need