Medical-Surgical Nursing:Assessment and Managementof Clinical Problems 9th Edition by Sharon Lewis,Shannon Ruff Dirksen,Margaret McLean Heitkemper,Linda Bucher

Exercise 26

On the first postoperative day following a bowel resection, the patient complains of abdominal and incisional pain rated 9 on a scale of 0 to 10.Postoperative orders include morphine, 4 mg IV q2 hr, for pain and may repeat morphine, 4 mg IV, for breakthrough pain.The nurse determines that it has been only 2 hours since the last dose of morphine and wants to wait a little longer.What effect does the nurse's action have on the patient?
A) Protects the patient from addiction and toxic effects of the drug
B) Prevents hastening or causing a patient's death from respiratory dysfunction
C) Contributes to unnecessary suffering and physical and psychosocial dysfunction
D) Indicates that the nurse understands the adage of "start low and go slow" in administering analgesics