A nurse on the postoperative inpatient unit receives a hand-off report on four clients using patient-controlled analgesia (PCA)pumps.Which client should the nurse see first?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Continuous delivery of opioid analgesia can lead to respiratory depression and extreme sedation.A respiratory rate of 8 breaths/min is below normal,so the nurse should first check this client.The client sleeping soundly could either be overly sedated or just comfortable and should be checked next.Pressing the button every 10 minutes indicates the client has a high level of pain,but the device has a lockout determining how often a bolus can be delivered.Therefore,the client cannot overdose.The nurse should next assess that client's pain.The client who has not needed a bolus of pain medicine in several hours has well-controlled pain.

A Nurse on the Postoperative Inpatient Unit Receives a Hand-Off