Nursing 109

N109: Foundations in Nursing Practice Study Guide • Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) work as anti-inflammatory and analgesic agents. As with the non-narcotic agents, the NSAIDs may also produce gastrointestinal bleeding and pain. • Topical pain medications are also available over the counter and may produce a soothing feeling of warmth or coolness on the skin that helps to relieve pain. • Anxiolytics do not relieve pain directly but may relieve stress and allow the individual to relax and therefore decrease pain. • Hypnotics, or sleeping medications, may shorten the time to sleep onset and reduce the number of times the individual wakes during the night. • Antidepressants are very effective as co-analgesics in treating pain. They are particularly helpful in dealing with chronic pain. • Antiemetics treat nausea and vomiting. Opioid analgesics often have side effects of nausea and vomiting, so antiemetics are used in treating these symptoms. • Patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) is a pain relief method that allows the patient to administer his own pain medication. This technique allows the patient to intervene early in the pain process and typically results in better pain control. PCA may be oral, intravenous, transcutaneous, or inhaled. Maximum doses are controlled and prescribed by a provider; the patient determines when the next dose of medication is needed up to the maximumprescribed dose. 2.10 The Nursing Process Assessment One of the most important pieces of the assessment of pain is a history of pain and discomfort the patient has experienced in the past, and the measures that have been used to successfully relieve the pain. Using the LOCATES acronym previously described, the nurse must assess and document the characteristics of pain. The nurse must be aware of the patient’s facial expression, body position, and vital signs to aid in the assessment of pain. Analysis With the patient, family, and members of the healthcare team, the nurse must analyze the assessment and formulate and prioritize the potential and actual nursing diagnoses pertinent to the individual with comfort and pain management needs. Possible nursing diagnoses might include: • Readiness for enhanced comfort with the goal that the individual will use suggested techniques to enhance comfort • Activity intolerance with the goal that the individual will be able to complete ADLs with minimal assistance • Potential for injury with the goal that the individual will be free from injury • Anxiety with the goal that the anxiety will be decreased or eliminated • Risk for hopelessness with the goal that the individual will express hope for the future

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