A nurse is teaching a patient about patient-controlled analgesia (PCA). Which statement made by the patient indicates to the nurse that teaching is effective?

I will only need to be on this pain medication.

I need the nurse to notify me when it is time for another dose.

I feel less anxiety about the possibility of overdosing.

I can receive the pain medication as frequently as I need to.

Answer and Explanation

The Correct Answer is C

Choice A reason: Stating exclusive reliance on PCA suggests misunderstanding. Effective PCA teaching clarifies it’s part of a multimodal pain plan, potentially including other medications or therapies. This belief may limit comprehensive pain management, risking inadequate relief or prolonged recovery.

Choice B reason: Needing nurse notification for doses indicates misunderstanding. PCA allows patient-initiated dosing within programmed limits, promoting autonomy. This statement suggests reliance on external cues, undermining PCA’s purpose of self-controlled analgesia, potentially leading to delayed or inadequate pain relief.

Choice C reason: Feeling less anxious about overdosing shows understanding of PCA safety features, like lockout intervals and dose limits, preventing excessive administration. This reflects effective teaching, as patients confident in PCA’s safety can focus on pain management, improving compliance and outcomes.

Choice D reason: Believing medication can be received as frequently as needed is incorrect. PCA has programmed lockout intervals to prevent overdosing. This misunderstanding risks patient frustration or unsafe attempts to override limits, highlighting ineffective teaching about PCA’s controlled delivery system.

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Correct Answer is A

Explanation

Choice A reason: This question is inappropriate for pain assessment as it dismisses the patient’s subjective experience. Pain assessment requires objective, empathetic inquiries about intensity, frequency, and quality. Questioning pain validity based on recent medication fails to gather clinical data, undermines trust, and may hinder effective pain management strategies by not addressing the patient’s actual pain experience.

Choice B reason: Rating pain on a 0 to 10 scale is a standard pain assessment tool. This numerical scale quantifies pain intensity, enabling clinicians to evaluate severity, monitor changes, and adjust interventions. It’s a validated method ensuring consistent documentation and tailored pain management across clinical settings, crucial for effective treatment planning.

Choice C reason: Asking about pain recurrence frequency is vital in pain assessment. It identifies patterns or triggers, informing the underlying cause. This data guides intervention timing, such as medication schedules or nonpharmacological methods, to effectively manage recurrent pain and improve patient outcomes by addressing the pain’s temporal characteristics.

Choice D reason: Inquiring about pain quality (e.g., sharp, burning) is critical in pain assessment. The description reveals the pain’s etiology, distinguishing neuropathic from nociceptive pain. This informs targeted treatments, like anticonvulsants for nerve pain or anti-inflammatories for tissue damage, optimizing pain relief by addressing the specific pain mechanism.

A. Monitor for fluid and electrolyte disturbances B. Use standard precautions when caring for the client C. Identify cause of diarrhea and assess bowel habits D. Encourage client to eat small frequent meals

Correct Answer is A

Explanation

Choice A reason: Diarrhea causes significant fluid and electrolyte losses, particularly sodium, potassium, and bicarbonate, risking dehydration and acid-base imbalances. Monitoring these parameters is critical to prevent hypovolemia, arrhythmias, or metabolic acidosis, making it the priority intervention for patient stability.

Choice B reason: Standard precautions are necessary to prevent infection transmission but are a routine practice, not the priority. While important for safety, they do not address the immediate physiological threat of fluid and electrolyte imbalances caused by ongoing diarrhea.

Choice C reason: Identifying the cause of diarrhea and assessing bowel habits is important for long-term management but is secondary to stabilizing the patient. Fluid and electrolyte losses pose an immediate risk, requiring urgent monitoring before diagnostic or historical assessments.

Choice D reason: Encouraging small, frequent meals may help manage diarrhea long-term by reducing gastrointestinal irritation, but it is not the priority. Addressing fluid and electrolyte imbalances takes precedence to prevent life-threatening complications like dehydration or hypokalemia.

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A nurse is teaching a patient about patient-controlled analgesia (PCA). Which statement made by the patient indicates to the nurse that teaching is effective?

Nursing Test Bank

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Correct Answer is A

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