Chapter Summary

• The renal system comprises the kidneys, urinary bladder, ureters, and urethra, with the kidneys being the primary organs.
• The kidneys filter blood and remove serum wastes, balance fluids, maintain blood pressure, maintain acid-base balance, and excrete wastes. The kidneys also reabsorb certain products including glucose, amino acids, bicarbonate, water, phosphate, chloride, sodium, magnesium, and potassium ions.
• Heart health is important to kidney health, so making sure to limit saturated fats and avoid artificial trans fat is important for both cardiac and renal health.
• Depending on the stage of renal disease, the client will have to control their intake of fluids, fats, sodium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and protein.
• Clients should engage in the planning of their diet and in an active learning process concerning their health. Engagement is considered an essential pillar for successful health management because barriers to following the nutritional plan are more likely to be identified. Engaged clients are more likely to be proactive and are more likely to make the needed behavioral changes to improve their quality of life.
• The nurse should follow the four components of the client education process—assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation—holistically when providing client education.