After administering oral pain medication, what is the most appropriate next step for the nurse to evaluate its effectiveness?
Monitor the client's respiratory rate every 15 minutes.
Ask the client to rate their pain on a scale from 0 to 10 after one hour.
Schedule a follow-up assessment for the next day.
Immediately contact the provider for additional prescriptions.
The Correct Answer is B
A. Monitor the client's respiratory rate every 15 minutes: Frequent respiratory monitoring is essential for opioids or medications with sedative effects, but it does not directly measure pain relief or effectiveness of the analgesic.
B. Ask the client to rate their pain on a scale from 0 to 10 after one hour: Evaluating pain using a standardized numeric scale allows the nurse to determine the medication’s effectiveness. Oral analgesics typically take about 30–60 minutes to achieve peak effect, making this timing appropriate for reassessment.
C. Schedule a follow-up assessment for the next day: Waiting until the next day would delay recognition of inadequate pain control or need for intervention. Pain assessment should be timely to ensure client comfort and safety.
D. Immediately contact the provider for additional prescriptions: Contacting the provider is premature before evaluating whether the administered medication was effective. Reassessment guides appropriate follow-up action.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is {"dropdown-group-1":"C"}
Explanation
A. Birth: Birth weight is only relevant for neonates and infants when calculating neonatal or pediatric dosages. It is not appropriate for current dosing in older children or adults.
B. Stated: A patient’s stated weight may be inaccurate due to misestimation or recall errors. Relying solely on what the patient reports can lead to incorrect dosing.
C. Current: The patient’s current, measured weight is used to calculate weight-based medication dosages. Accurate, up-to-date measurements ensure safe and effective dosing, especially for medications with narrow therapeutic windows.
D. Estimated: Estimating a patient’s weight is only used in emergency situations when actual measurement is impossible. Whenever feasible, the actual current weight should be used for precise dosing calculations.
Correct Answer is ["1140"]
Explanation
Calculation:
- Identify oral fluid intake
Clear soda: 120 mL
Water: 360 mL
Fruit-flavored gelatin: 240 mL
Chicken broth: 120 mL
Toast is a solid food and is not included in intake.
Total oral intake = 120 + 360 + 240 + 120
= 840 mL
- Identify IV fluid intake
0.9% sodium chloride IV = 300 mL
- Calculate total fluid intake
Total intake = Oral intake + IV intake
Total intake = 840 + 300
= 1140 mL
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