The nurse has given the client pain medication based on the client's reporting a pain level of 7 out of 10. Upon evaluation of the treatment after 1 hour, the client reports that the pain level remains at 7. The nurse plans to:
1. Report to the physician by telephone.
2. Include in the nursing report that the medication is ineffective.
3. Increase the dosage of the medication.
4. Wait for the doctor to make rounds to report the problem.
1. Report to the physician by telephone.
Rationale:
In this case reporting to the physician by telephone is appropriate. The nurse would address the client's distress immediately and later include the event in the end-of-shift report to the oncoming nurse. The nurse cannot alter the dose of medication. Waiting for the physician to arrive could cause the client to experience a great deal of pain in the interim.
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