Question

A child with sickle cell crisis has been admitted to the pediatric unit for pain management. The nurse is evaluating the child's pain 15 to 20 minutes after an initial dose of morphine. Using the FLACC scale, the nurse notes that the child is sobbing and lying with the legs drawn up. The parents attempt to console the child but have been largely unsuccessful. Based on this assessment, what should the nurse's next action be?

Answer 1

The nurse should administer additional pain medication to alleviate the child's pain.

Step-by-step explanation:

Based on the assessment using the FLACC scale, the child is sobbing and lying with the legs drawn up, indicating significant pain. The nurse's next action should be to administer additional pain medication to help alleviate the child's pain. Morphine is commonly used for pain management in sickle cell crisis, and the nurse can adjust the dose as needed based on the child's response.