A patient who is postoperative day 1 following a discectomy has lit his call light and requested a dose of hydromorphone, which he receives on a p.r.n. basis for breakthrough pain
What should the nurse first do in response to the patient's request?
A) Assess the characteristics of the patient's pain.
B) Draw up the prescribed dose of hydromorphone.
C) Propose the use of nonpharmacologic interventions.
D) Discuss the use of NSAIDs as an alternative to opioids.
A
You might also like to view...
In using the ophthalmoscope to assess a patient's eyes, the nurse notices a red glow in the patient's pupils. On the basis of this finding, the nurse would:
a. Suspect that an opacity is present in the lens or cornea. b. Check the light source of the ophthalmoscope to verify that it is functioning. c. Consider the red glow a normal reflection of the ophthalmoscope light off the inner retina. d. Continue with the ophthalmoscopic examination, and refer the patient for further evaluation.
The nurse is assessing the joints of a woman who has stated, "I have a long family history of arthritis, and my joints hurt." The nurse suspects that she has osteoarthritis. Which of these are symptoms of osteoarthritis? Select all that apply
a. Symmetric joint involvement b. Asymmetric joint involvement c. Pain with motion of affected joints d. Affected joints are swollen with hard, bony protuberances e. Affected joints may have heat, redness, and swelling
When providing care for a client receiving peritoneal dialysis, the nurse notices that the effluent is cloudy. Which intervention is most important for the nurse to carry out?
a. Irrigate the peritoneal catheter with saline. b. Send a specimen for culture and sensitivi-ty. c. Document the finding in the client's chart. d. Change the dialysate solution and catheter tubing.
The transplant clinic nurse is educating a patient about the renal criteria that must be met in order to be placed on the transplant waiting list. Which statement by the patient best indicates an understanding of the criteria?
a. "I qualify if my glomerular filtration rate is less than 20 mL per minute." b. "I will not qualify until I have to go on regular hemodialysis treatments." c. "My blood type does not have to be a match with the donor blood type." d. "The national waiting list is based on the ability to pay for medications."