In a postoperative assessment of a patient who has had knee replacement surgery, the nurse notes that the patient is experiencing moderate knee pain and somewhat slurred speech. The nurse appropriately
A) Checks the patient's chart to determine whether her slurred speech can be attributed to her postoperative medications and, if not, summons her doctor to determine whether she is having postoperative complications.
B) Asks the doctor to adjust the patient's pain medications to relieve the pain and prevent any further slurring of speech.
C) Asks the patient to let the nurse know if the pain or the slurred speech gets worse, then reassesses the patient's symptoms in 4 hours.
D) Calls the patient's doctor immediately because she may be suffering a stroke because of a blood clot that traveled from her legs postoperatively.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The nurse should first check the patient's chart to determine if the slurred speech is a known side effect of any medications given after surgery. If not, the doctor should be summoned to assess the patient for any postoperative complications that may be causing the pain and slurred speech. Calling the doctor immediately and assuming it's a stroke without gathering more information would be inappropriate and potentially harmful to the patient. Waiting 4 hours before reassessing the patient's symptoms is also not appropriate because the pain and slurred speech may indicate a serious postoperative issue. Adjusting pain medications without assessing the patient for possible complications is also not appropriate.

In a Postoperative Assessment of a Patient Who Has Had