Pain Management- Case Study
Ellen Watson is a 65-year-old white woman who just had a colon resection for a cancerous tumor. The surgeon ordered a morphine PCA pump to control the pain. Mrs. Watson has severe arthritis in her hands and lower back. She is on a daily NSAID to control the pain related to the arthritis. Her daughter Marie is staying with her during the hospitalization because Mrs. Watson is a widow. Mrs. Watson has not had surgery before, so she is not sure what to expect. She is upset about the diagnosis of cancer. Lana Bridges is a student nurse assigned to care for Mrs. Watson. She is in her last clinical rotation and will be administering all medications with her instructor’s supervision.
- Lana goes in to meet Mrs. Watson, and Mrs. Watson is holding her abdomen and is restless. She is pale. Lana asks Mrs. Watson to rate her pain on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the worst pain you could have. Mrs. Watson tells Lana that it is a 9. Lana checks the PCA pump and notices that Mrs. Watson has not been pushing the button for medication delivery. What should Lana do to alleviate the pain?