Question

A nurse is taking care of a client who asks if she can have some acetaminophen to help with her headache. The nurse checks to see if there is an order for acetaminophen and notices that the client is able to have 650 mg every 4 hours for pain. What type of order is this considered?

a) STAT order
b) Standing order
c) p.r.n. order
d) One-time order

Answer 1

The nurse discovered a p.r.n. order, which allows a patient to have 650 mg of acetaminophen every 4 hours for pain relief as needed.

Step-by-step explanation:

The type of order the nurse noticed, which allows the client to have 650 mg of acetaminophen every 4 hours for pain, is a p.r.n. order. The acronym p.r.n. stands for "pro re nata", which is Latin for "as needed". This type of order is used in healthcare settings to give the care team flexibility to administer medication based on the patient's condition and symptoms, rather than at set times. Because the nurse's client requested acetaminophen for a headache, the nurse checks the order and can provide the medication as long as it fits within the prescribed dosing schedule specified by the p.r.n. order.