Nursing Care Plan for Preeclampsia
Also searched as: pregnancy-induced hypertension, PIH
🎓 Educational example. Adapt to your patient and have your instructor review it. Not medical advice.
A pregnancy complication marked by new high blood pressure and organ involvement (often protein in the urine) after 20 weeks. Nursing care focuses on blood-pressure control, seizure prevention, and monitoring mother and fetus.
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Assessment
- Subjective: headache, visual changes, upper-abdominal pain, swelling
- Objective: BP ≥140/90, proteinuria, edema, brisk reflexes, abnormal labs (platelets, liver enzymes)
Nursing diagnoses
Risk factors: hypertension, hyperreflexia, headache
As evidenced by: edema, weight gain, proteinuria
Goals / expected outcomes
- The patient will maintain blood pressure within the ordered range and remain seizure-free during care.
- The mother and fetus will show stable, reassuring status through monitoring.
Nursing interventions & rationale
| Intervention | Rationale |
|---|---|
| Monitor BP, reflexes, headache, and visual changes; keep the environment calm and low-stimulus. | Rising BP and hyperreflexia warn of impending seizure (eclampsia). |
| Administer antihypertensives and magnesium sulfate as prescribed; check deep tendon reflexes, respiratory rate, and urine output before each dose and monitor for toxicity, and keep calcium gluconate at the bedside as the antidote. | Therapeutic magnesium is ~4–7 mEq/L; toxicity risk rises above ~8. Loss of deep tendon reflexes is the earliest warning sign, followed by respiratory rate below 12/min and urine output below 30 mL/hr — calcium gluconate reverses toxicity if it occurs. |
| Track intake/output, daily weight, proteinuria, and relevant labs. | Detects worsening organ involvement and fluid overload. |
| Monitor fetal heart rate and report non-reassuring patterns. | Placental perfusion is reduced; fetal distress must be caught early. |
Evaluation
- BP controlled; no seizure activity
- Stable maternal labs and fetal status
- Signs of worsening reported promptly
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Build a care plan free Preview Pro (coming soon)Preeclampsia care plan: FAQ
What is the nursing diagnosis for Preeclampsia?
Common nursing diagnoses include: Risk for injury (mother and fetus) related to elevated blood pressure and possible seizures; Excess fluid volume related to fluid shifts and reduced perfusion. Choose the one your patient's assessment data supports.
What are nursing interventions for Preeclampsia?
Key interventions: Monitor BP, reflexes, headache, and visual changes; keep the environment calm and low-stimulus.; Administer antihypertensives and magnesium sulfate as prescribed; check deep tendon reflexes, respiratory rate, and urine output before each dose and monitor for toxicity, and keep calcium gluconate at the bedside as the antidote.; Track intake/output, daily weight, proteinuria, and relevant labs. — 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.