During an abdominal assessment, the nurse is unable to hear bowel sounds in a patient's abdomen. How long should the nurse listen before reporting absent bowel sounds?

A. 1 minute: This is not the correct duration for assessing bowel sounds. B. 2 minutes each quadrant: Bowel sounds should be auscultated for at least 2 minutes per quadrant before determining that they are absent. C. 5 minutes: Listening for 5 minutes is excessive and typically unnecessary unless there is concern about a complete absence of bowel sounds. D. 10 minutes: 10 minutes is also too long for auscultation unless specifically indicated by clinical findings, like suspected paralytic ileus.