Which of the following statements made by the patient indicates to the nurse that teaching on a patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) device has been effective?
a. "This is the only pain medication I will need to be on."
b. "I can administer the pain medication as frequently as I need to"
c. "I feel less anxiety about the possibility of overdosing."
d. "I will need the nurse to notify me when it is time for another dose."
C
A PCA is a device that allows the patient to determine the level of pain relief delivered, reducing the risk of oversedation. Its use often eases anxiety because the patient is not reliant on the nurse for pain relief. Other medications, such as oral analgesics, can be given in addition to the PCA machine. The PCA does have a time limit to prevent overdose, but the patient can lengthen the amount of time between doses. One benefit of PCA is that the patient does not need to rely on the nurse to administer pain medication; the patient determines when to take the medication.
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