A postoperative client has a prescription for morphine 2 mg IV push every 2 hours and hydrocodone 5 mg every 6 hours. The client received the morphine 2 hours ago and is requesting hydrocodone. Which initial action should the nurse take?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The nurse should assess the patient's level of pain before administering any medication. Only by assessing the patient's pain level using a pain scale can the nurse determine if the patient needs more medication, and if so, how much. The nurse should not automatically administer another dose of morphine or administer a different medication without assessing the patient's pain first. Encouraging the use of distraction techniques may be helpful for some patients, but this should be done in conjunction with pain medication if needed.

A Postoperative Client Has a Prescription for Morphine 2 Mg