An older client recovering from surgery refuses pain medication because of the fear of becoming addicted. What action should the nurse take at this time?
1. Contact the physician.
2. Administer the medication when the client is sleeping.
3. Withhold the analgesic medication and continue to observe the client.
4. Determine what methods of pain management are acceptable to the client.
4. Determine what methods of pain management are acceptable to the client.
Explanation: 1. Contacting the physician is premature and the client is not in danger.
2. Administration of the medication that had been refused would be a violation of the client's rights.
3. The nurse needs to do more than observe the client.
4. The risk of addiction in the elderly is rare. Additionally, the risk of addiction is limited when managing acute pain. The client is in pain. Management of the pain is the priority. Determining what the client will consider using is important. During the review of acceptable pain management interventions, the lines of communication will remain open and the client may reconsider the decision.
You might also like to view...
A nurse reads that a case involving the care provided in a hospital will be reviewed by the United States Supreme Court. The nurse suspects that which situations could have occurred?
Note: Credit will be given only if all correct choices and no incorrect choices are selected. Select all that apply. 1. The case involves a constitutional issue. 2. Two lower federal courts have reached different conclusions in the case. 3. The hospital involved is a military hospital. 4. The care in question included the suspicion of premeditated homicide. 5. The patient involved in the case was an undocumented alien.
Which characteristics of the primary nursing model make it a good match with the goals of the IOM and National Quality Forum? Note: Credit will be given only if all correct choices and no incorrect choices are selected. Select all that apply
1. There are fewer RNs, so care is less expensive. 2. Primary nursing creates new possibilities for collaborative success. 3. Primary nursing supports efforts to make patient care safer. 4. The model allows the nurse to coordinate care across many disciplines. 5. Primary nursing reduces the need for communication and documentation.
The nurse should assess the infant's umbilical cord frequently during the first few hours after birth for:
a. Pallor b. Bleeding c. Herniation d. Infection
The school nurse is working on a campaign in the school to prevent adolescent pregnancies. Which of the following interventions should the nurse implement?
a. Talk to teenagers about sex, including abstinence, contraception, and sexually transmitted diseases. b. Tell the teenagers they should abstain from sex until they are old enough to cope with the potential consequences such as an unwanted pregnancy. c. Encourage parents of all teenage girls to make sure their daughters start oral contraceptives early. d. Offer all teenagers free condoms when they come in for physical exams