Answer to Question 1
ANS: D
This patient's respiratory rate indicates possible respiratory depression. The risk for oversedation is greatest in the first 4 hours after transfer from the postanesthesia care unit. Patients should be reassessed 30 minutes after receiving IV opioids for pain. A scheduled oral mediation does not need to be administered exactly at the scheduled time. A sedation scale of 2 indicates adequate pain control from hydromorphone.
Answer to Question 2
ANS: B, D
Monitoring for pain relief and teaching the patient about how opioid use will improve postoperative outcomes are appropriate actions when administering opioids for acute pain. Although postoperative patients usually need a decreasing amount of opioids by the second postoperative day, each patient's response is individual. Tolerance may occur, but addiction to opioids will not develop in the acute postoperative period. The patient should use the opioids to achieve adequate pain control, and so the nurse should not emphasize the adverse effects.
Patient Position for Posterior Percussion
Measuring Patient Height
The postoperative client supports an incision with a folded pillow when taking a deep breath and cou
Scheduling patient appointments by telephone.
Example of a patient statement.
ROM exercises on a patient’s wrist: ulnar deviation.