When carrying out the order morphine 2 mg IV every 3 hours PRN, the nurse recognizes that which of the following interventions is most appropriate?
1. The nurse should assess pain every hour and routinely offer the drug.
2. For best results, the patient should receive the morphine every 3 hours.
3. The nurse should wait until the patient requests the morphine to administer the drug.
4. The nurse should wait until the previous dose of morphine has worn off before administering more.
The nurse should assess pain every hour and routinely offer the drug.
Rationale: While around-the-clock dosing has been proven more effective than the as-needed (PRN) dosing, the nurse should educate the client about the medication, assess pain frequently, and offer the drug hourly. Administering the medication every 3 hours around the clock circumvents the nurse's responsibility to assess the pain and administer medication when the client needs it. Waiting for the client to request the drug may allow too much time to elapse, resulting severe pain that will require more than the ordered amount to relieve the pain. Waiting for a previous dose of medication to wear off will cause a reduced blood level of analgesic; the client may need more than the ordered amount to regain control over pain.
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