The prescribed pain medications.
The student nurse adopted and personalized a detailed care plan for her patient the night before her clinical experience. Her patient was admitted for abdominal surgery, and the nurse planned to implement care on the second postoperative day. One of the nursing diagnoses is Acute pain. The prescribed pain medications include IV and oral analgesics, and she was prepared to administer either one. During the morning care, the IV medication was discontinued. The patient refused the oral medication and denied any major discomfort. Every 30 minutes the nurse gathered data about the patient’s pain level and offered pain medication and nonpharmacologic interventions. Finally, the patient asked the nurse to leave him alone. Disappointed, the nurse met with the nursing instructor and said, “I came to clinical fully prepared, and I was all wrong. My patient has no pain. Now I don’t know how to address his needs.” Discuss how the nurse needs to better use the nursing process and improve her critical thinking skills.
The prescribed pain medications
