A nurse provides health teaching for a patient diagnosed with bulimia nervosa. Priority information the nurse should provide relates to

A) self-monitoring of daily food and fluid intake.
B) establishing the desired daily weight gain.
C) how to recognize hypokalemia.
D) self-esteem maintenance.

Hypokalemia results from potassium loss associated with vomiting. Physiological integrity can be maintained if the patient can self-diagnose potassium deficiency and adjust the diet or seek medical assistance. Self-monitoring of daily food and fluid intake is not useful if the patient purges. Daily weight gain may not be desirable for a patient with bulimia nervosa. Self-esteem is an identifiable problem but is of lesser priority than the dangers associated with hypokalemia.