The nurse administers an opioid analgesic to an older male adult postoperative patient on a surgical unit. Which is the most important intervention for the nurse to implement before leaving the patient's room?
a. Place the call bell within reach.
b. Position the patient comfortably.
c. Offer toileting and a sip of water.
d. Instruct him to ask for help before getting up.
D
Feedback
A Incorrect. Placing the call bell within reach is a good supplementary intervention to instructing the patient about calling for help.
B Incorrect. Comfortable positioning is a good supplemental intervention after pain medication administration.
C Incorrect. Offering toileting and hydration is a reasonable intervention to im-plement after pain medication administration, but it does not offer the same de-gree of safety as instructing the patient to call for help.
D Correct. The most important intervention for fall and injury prevention is for the nurse to instruct the older adult to ask for help before getting up after receiving an opioid medication. This is important because the medication can cause seda-tion and dizziness; so the nurse instructs him to ask for help to prevent a fall or injury.
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