A client hospitalized with sickle cell crisis frequently asks for opioid pain medications, often shortly after receiving a dose. The nurses on the unit believe the client is drug seeking. When the client requests pain medication,
what action by the nurse is best?
a.
Give the client pain medication if it is time for another dose.
b.
Instruct the client not to request pain medication too early.
c.
Request the provider leave a prescription for a placebo.
d.
Tell the client it is too early to have more pain medication.
ANS: A
Clients with sickle cell crisis often have severe pain that is managed with up to 48 hours of IV opioid analgesics. Even if the client is addicted and drug seeking, he or she is still in extreme pain. If the client can receive another dose of medication, the nurse should provide it. The other options are judgmental and do not address the client's pain. Giving placebos is unethical.
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