Question

The nurse is caring for a client with terminal bone cancer. The client states, "My pain is getting worse and worse and the morphine doesn't help anymore." How would the nurse document the type of pain experienced by this client?

Answer 1

The nurse should document the client's pain as chronic and potentially neuropathic, given that morphine is no longer providing relief. Accurate pain assessment is crucial for effective pain management in cancer patients.

Step-by-step explanation:

The nurse would document the type of pain experienced by the client with terminal bone cancer as chronic pain, which is persistent and can be accompanied by neurogenic inflammation. This could potentially suggest a shift from primarily inflammatory pain to elements of neuropathic pain, as the client's reports indicate that the pain no longer responds effectively to morphine, an opioid that is generally used to alleviate severe pain. An important aspect of cancer pain management is assessing and documenting the pain accurately, which may involve the use of scales like the Wong-Baker Faces pain-rating scale or the measurement of skin conductance fluctuations to quantify the subjective symptom of pain. In this case, the nurse might also consider reporting the need for a pain management consultation to adjust or change pain relief strategies, which could include different analgesics, adjuvant medications, relaxation therapy, or possibly even interventional procedures if appropriate.