Question

After receiving ibuprofen (Motrin) 800 mg orally for right hip pain, the patient states that his pain is 8 out of 10 on the numerical pain scale. Which action should the nurse take?

1)Use nonpharmacological therapy while waiting 3 more hours before next dose.
2)Administer an additional 800 mg oral dose of ibuprofen right away.
3)Do nothing because the patients facial expression indicates he is comfortable.
4)Notify the prescriber that the current pain management plan is ineffective.

Answer 1

The nurse should either use nonpharmacological therapy or notify the prescriber because the current pain management plan is ineffective; administering an additional dose of ibuprofen is not recommended.

Step-by-step explanation:

After receiving ibuprofen (Motrin) 800 mg orally for right hip pain, the patient states that his pain is 8 out of 10 on the numerical pain scale. The appropriate action for the nurse to take would be to use nonpharmacological therapy while waiting 3 more hours before the next dose, or notify the prescriber that the current pain management plan is ineffective. Administering an additional 800 mg dose of ibuprofen right away is not advisable because it exceeds the recommended dosing interval and could increase the risk of side effects. It is also worth noting that relying on a patient's facial expression alone to assess comfort level is not a reliable method of pain assessment.