A nurse wants to explore why clients who receive patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) after abdominal surgery ambulate sooner than clients who receive nurse-administered pain medications. Which action should the nurse take first?
a. Contact the medical center's clinical pharmacist.
b. Search the medical library for the best evidence.
c. Recommend PCA for all clients.
d. Appraise data obtained through client chart audits.
ANS: B
After asking the "burning" question, the nurse should find the very best evidence to try to answer it. The clinical pharmacist may be knowledgeable, but this is not the best evidence available. Information from client chart audits may demonstrate better outcomes with PCA, but this again is not the best evidence. The nurse should wait and recommend clinical practice changes until best evidence is found, appraised, and synthesized.
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