A terminally ill, 46-year-old client has an order for morphine sulfate 2 mg to 6 mg intravenously (IV) every 2 hours prn for pain. A nurse administers 2 mg for the first dose, but after 20 minutes the client has no relief and experiences no side effects. What is the nurse’s best action?
ExplanationThe client has a range order for morphine sulfate. The total dose is 6 mg in a 2-hour period. Since the client had no relief after 15 minutes and no side effects, 4 mg should be administered to maximize pain control. The peak time for morphine sulfate administered IV is 20 minutes. Complementary measures can be used to distract the client from pain but should not replace analgesic medications for pain control. It is unnecessary to call the physician because the ordered dose is up to 6 mg in 2 hours. The initial dose of 2 mg did not relieve the client’s pain; giving an additional 2 mg now and then waiting will only delay when the client can receive the next maximum dose of the medication for adequate pain control.
