The nurse is caring for a postoperative patient in the critical care unit.The physician has ordered patient-controlled analgesia (PCA)for the patient.The nurse understands that the PCA:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

PCA is safe and effective,provides good-quality analgesia,and has potentially fewer side effects than other routes.PCA management is rarely appropriate for critically ill patients because most patients are unable to depress the button,or they are too ill to manage their pain effectively.If the patient is cognitively intact,family assistance is not needed to use this modality and is not advisable; the patient needs to be able to push the button.

The Nurse Is Caring for a Postoperative Patient in the Critical