Nursing Care Plan for Cirrhosis
Also searched as: liver cirrhosis, end-stage liver disease
🎓 Educational example. Adapt to your patient and have your instructor review it. Not medical advice.
Progressive scarring of the liver that impairs its function, affecting clotting, fluid balance, and toxin clearance. Nursing care focuses on managing fluid overload, preventing bleeding, and protecting mental status.
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Assessment
- Subjective: fatigue, abdominal swelling, confusion, itching, poor appetite
- Objective: ascites, jaundice, edema, easy bruising, elevated ammonia/bilirubin, low albumin
Nursing diagnoses
As evidenced by: ascites, edema, weight gain
Risk factors: bruising, prolonged clotting times
Goals / expected outcomes
- The patient will show reduced fluid overload with stable weight during care.
- The patient will remain free of bleeding and maintain clear mental status.
Nursing interventions & rationale
| Intervention | Rationale |
|---|---|
| Monitor daily weight, abdominal girth, intake/output, and edema. | Tracks fluid status and response to diuretics/restriction. |
| Give prescribed diuretics, sodium/fluid restriction, and albumin as ordered. | Reduces ascites and edema from low oncotic pressure. |
| Watch for and prevent bleeding; monitor clotting labs and use gentle care. | Reduced clotting factors raise bleeding risk, especially GI varices. |
| Assess mental status and give lactulose as ordered; limit precipitants. | Rising ammonia causes encephalopathy; lactulose lowers ammonia. |
Evaluation
- Ascites/edema and weight decrease
- No active bleeding
- Mental status remains clear
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Build a care plan free Preview Pro (coming soon)Cirrhosis care plan: FAQ
What is the nursing diagnosis for Cirrhosis?
Common nursing diagnoses include: Excess fluid volume related to reduced albumin and portal hypertension; Risk for bleeding related to impaired clotting factor production. Choose the one your patient's assessment data supports.
What are nursing interventions for Cirrhosis?
Key interventions: Monitor daily weight, abdominal girth, intake/output, and edema.; Give prescribed diuretics, sodium/fluid restriction, and albumin as ordered.; Watch for and prevent bleeding; monitor clotting labs and use gentle care. — each paired with a rationale.
Can I use this care plan for my assignment?
Use it as a study example and starting draft. Always adapt it to your specific patient and have it reviewed by your instructor. This is an educational tool, not medical advice.
For nursing education only — NOT medical advice and not a clinical decision-making tool. Nothing here should be used to assess, diagnose, or treat any real patient. Care plans and answers are unverified study drafts to review with your instructor or a licensed clinician and adapt to the individual patient and your institution’s protocols before any use.
Last reviewed 2026-07. Educational content based on standard nursing practice; not medical advice and not affiliated with NANDA-I/NIC/NOC. Always follow your institution's protocols and your instructor's guidance.