Lewis's Medical Surgical Nursing in Canada, 5th Edition - Nursing Management: Upper Gastrointestinal Conditions Related

Review Lewis's Medical Surgical Nursing in Canada, 5th Edition - Nursing Management: Upper Gastrointestinal Conditions related questions and content

The nurse is caring for a patient with deep partial-thickness burns who is anxious about the upcoming dressing change, is in severe pain, and is nauseated. Which of the following actions will be most useful in decreasing the patient's nausea?

  • A. Keep the patient NPO for 2 hours before and after dressing changes.
  • B. Avoid performing dressing changes close to the patient's mealtimes.
  • C. Administer the prescribed morphine sulphate before dressing changes.
  • D. Give the ordered prochlorperazine before dressing changes.
Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The patient's nausea is associated with stress and severe pain, therefore the best treatment will be to provide adequate pain medication before dressing changes. The nurse should avoid doing painful procedures close to mealtimes, but nausea or vomiting that occurs at other times also should be addressed. Keeping the patient NPO does not address the reason for the nausea and vomiting and will have an adverse effect on the patient's nutrition. Administration of antiemetics is not the best choice for a patient with nausea caused by pain.