RN Nursing Care of Children 2019 With NGN Related

Review RN Nursing Care of Children 2019 With NGN related questions and content

A 5-year-old has patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) for pain management after abdominal surgery. What information does the nurse include in teaching the parents about the PCA?

  • A. The child may not be pain-free.
  • B. The parents or nurse may push the button for a bolus if needed.
  • C. The pump allows for a continuous basal rate to deliver a constant amount of medication for pain control.
  • D. Monitoring is required every 1 to 2 hours to assess patient response.
Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is C because the PCA pump can be programmed to deliver a continuous basal rate of pain medication to maintain pain control. While the goal of PCA is effective pain relief, it does not guarantee a pain-free state. In the case of a 5-year-old child, the parents or nurse can administer boluses if necessary since the child may not fully comprehend using the PCA button. Monitoring every 1 to 2 hours for patient response is adequate and there is no need for monitoring every 15 minutes, as stated in choice D, unless specific circumstances dictate more frequent monitoring.