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.

1. 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?