Question

After surgery for a ruptured appendix, a 12-year-old child is receiving morphine for pain control by way of a patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) infusion. A bolus of morphine can be delivered every 6 minutes. A parent will be staying with the child during the immediate postoperative period. What statement indicates to the nurse that the instructions about the PCA pump have been understood?

A. "I'll make sure that she pushes the PCA button every 6 minutes."
B. "She needs to push the PCA button whenever she needs pain medication."
C. "I'll have to wake her up on a regular basis so she can push the PCA button."
D. "I'll press the PCA button every 6 minutes so she gets enough pain medication while she's sleeping."

Answer 1

"She needs to push the PCA button whenever she needs pain medication."

Step-by-step explanation: