Final answer:
The nurse's priority action before discontinuing a fentanyl PCA infusion is to assess the client's pain level, followed by verifying the infusion record with another nurse, documenting medication dosage, and taking vital signs.
Step-by-step explanation:
When preparing to discontinue a client's fentanyl patient-controlled analgesia infusion, the nurse's priority action is to assess the client's pain level. This step is crucial because it helps in determining if the patient requires additional pain management after the infusion is stopped. Subsequent steps would involve verifying the infusion record with another registered nurse, which is essential for ensuring patient safety and maintaining professional standards of care.
It’s also important to document the frequency of doses on the medication administration record, as part of the patient's medical history and for legal documentation. Taking the client's vital signs can provide additional information on the patient's current physiological status.
These steps are representative of the larger focus on patient safety and care coordination, and are in line with procedures where the surgical team, including the surgeon, nurse, and anesthesia professional, review aloud the key concerns for the recovery and care of the patient before induction of anesthesia and post-operatively.