A 45-year-old client continues to request intravenous pain medications 4 days after being placed in skeletal traction due to a complex fracture of the hip

Question

While giving report to the next shift, the nurse who cared for the client during the day states, "I just do not know why he still needs medication 4 days after surgery. The client we had last month with the same type situation did not need any medication after 2 days." Which of the following responses by a nursing peer is the best example of being a client advocate? 1. "I just think this client needs more because of his age."
2. "Have you tried getting the doctor to order oral pain medications to see if they work?"
3. "Wouldn't you want all of the pain medication you could have if you were in traction?"
4. "Everyone does not have the same pain perception or response to a similar injury."

Answer 1

4
Rationale 1: Pain threshold does not appear to change specifically with aging.
Rationale 2: Traditionally oral pain medications are used to manage less severe reports of pain. The client in the scenario has uncontrolled pain. The client in the scenario has uncontrolled pain. The best course of action for the nurse is to educate the colleague about the individuality of the pain experience.
Rationale 3: A nurse's personal attitudes or perceptions should not influence the care that is provided to a client.
Rationale 4: Based on the definition by McCaffery & Pasero pain is "whatever the experiencing person says it is, existing whenever he or she says it does." This definition supports each client's need for individualized pain management approaches.