Fundamentals of Nursing Q 249
A provider prescribes a 24-hour urine collection for a client. Which of the following actions should the nurse take?
A. Discard the first voiding.
B. Keep all voidings in a container at room temperature.
C. Ask the client to urinate and pour the urine into a specimen container.
D. Ask the client to urinate into the toilet, stop midstream, and finish urinating into the specimen container.
Correct Answer: A. Discard the first voiding.
The nurse should discard the first voiding of the 24 hour urine specimen, and note the time. 24-hour urine protein measures the amount of protein released in urine over a 24-hour period. The normal value is less than 100 milligrams per day or less than 10 milligrams per deciliter of urine.
Option B: The nurse should collect all voidings after that and keep them in a refrigerated container. A 24-hour urine collection is done by collecting the urine in a special container over a full 24-hour period. The container must be kept cool until the urine is returned to the lab.
Option C: For a urinalysis, the nurse should ask the client to urinate and pour the urine into a specimen container. Urine is made up of water and dissolved chemicals, such as sodium and potassium. It also contains urea. This is made when protein breaks down. And it contains creatinine, which is formed from muscle breakdown. Normally, urine contains certain amounts of these waste products. It may be a sign of a certain disease or condition if these amounts are not within a normal range. Or if other substances are present.
Option D: For a culture, the nurse should ask the client to urinate first into the toilet, then stop midstream, and finish urinating in the specimen container. A 24-hour urine collection helps diagnose kidney problems. It is often done to see how much creatinine clears through the kidneys. It’s also done to measure protein, hormones, minerals, and other chemical compounds.