Question

A nurse is providing teaching to an older adult client who has cancer and a new prescription for an opioid analgesic for pain management. Which of the following information should the nurse include in the teaching?

a. "It is an expected effect to sleep through the day when taking this medication"
b. "Your constipation will be lessened as you develop a tolerance to the medication"
c. "You should void every 4 hours to decrease the risk of urinary retention."
d. "If you experience ringing in your ears, your dose will need to be reduced"

Answer 1

The nurse should inform the patient to void every 4 hours to decrease the risk of urinary retention, as this is the correct teaching related to the side effects of an opioid analgesic.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct information for the nurse to include when teaching an older adult client who has cancer and a new prescription for an opioid analgesic would be c. "You should void every 4 hours to decrease the risk of urinary retention." Opioid analgesics can cause urinary retention, and encouraging regular voiding can help mitigate this risk.

It is not expected for a client to sleep through the entire day as a result of taking opioid analgesics, so option a is incorrect. The nurse should also instruct a client on how to manage constipation, as tolerance to the drug does not typically lessen this side effect; therefore, option b is also incorrect. If a client experiences ringing in their ears, this is not a usual side effect of opioids and therefore may not necessarily indicate a need for dose reduction; option d is therefore incorrect.

Answer 2

The nurse should instruct the client to void every 4 hours to prevent urinary retention, a common side effect of opioid use. The client should be aware that constipation is an ongoing side effect that doesn't lessen with tolerance, and drowsiness during the day isn't an expected nor desirable effect of opioids.

Step-by-step explanation:

When teaching an older adult client who has cancer and a new prescription for an opioid analgesic for pain management, the nurse should include the following information: "You should void every 4 hours to decrease the risk of urinary retention." Opioids can lead to urinary retention, and it is important for patients to try to maintain regular urinary patterns to prevent this. The nurse should dispel common misconceptions and inform the patient that constipation is a persistent side effect of opioids, and tolerance does not reduce the likelihood of experiencing it. Instead, patients should anticipate the need for a bowel regimen to manage these effects. Sleepiness during daytime may occur, but it is not an expected effect that should be considered normal. If a patient experiences ringing in the ears, it could be a sign of toxicity, not a specific side effect that leads to dose adjustments with opioids.