Medical Surgical HESI Related

Review Medical Surgical HESI related questions and content

Twelve hours following a unilateral total knee replacement, a client reports being unable to sleep because of severe incisional pain. What is the best initial nursing action?

  • A. Administer a prescribed sedative.
  • B. Reposition the client for comfort.
  • C. Apply ice packs to the surgical site.
  • D. Instruct the client in the use of the prescribed patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) pump.
Correct Answer: D

Rationale: Instructing the client in the use of the PCA pump is the best initial nursing action for managing severe incisional pain after knee replacement surgery. The PCA pump allows the client to self-administer pain medication effectively, promoting better pain management. Administering a sedative may mask the pain temporarily but doesn't address the root cause. Repositioning the client for comfort or applying ice packs may provide some relief but doesn't address the need for effective pain control as the PCA pump does.