The Nurse Is Caring for a Postoperative Patient Who 30

The nurse is caring for a postoperative patient who 30 minutes prior to transfer from the perianesthesia unit (PACU) received an intravenous analgesic. Pain medication orders are for morphine 10 mg IM every 3 hours PRN. An hour after arrival on the nursing unit, the patient reports pain of 8 on a 0 to 10 pain scale. What action should the nurse take?

A) Explain that intramuscular analgesic cannot be given for another 1.5 hours.
B) Repeat same intravenous medication the patient received in the PACU.
C) Administer the intramuscular medication now and then every 3 hours as ordered.
D) Give the patient nonnarcotic analgesics.