Reducing Errors by Improving Pain Medication Knowledge Thesis Proposal

Reducing Errors by Improving Pain Medication Knowledge - Thesis marriage offer ExampleTherefore, it is necessary for the post-anesthesia awe unit nurse to be familiar with these medications such that medication errors or over dots may be avoided. In order toprepare a nurse to be adequate in the PACU, proper procedure should be reviewed withregards to these medications so that he or she is well-prepared to face challenges in hassle management, which acknowledge being able to manage the control of pain with dilaudidand fentanyl, being able to alleviate forlornness or other psychological challenges of the uncomplaining and helping the family to be supportive of the persevering in the post-anesthesia care unit.Area IThe Problem and its Environmental Context The specific problem is that the subject of this study whole caboodle in the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) at UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, California. The Unit has a cater of 60 RNs who are certified nurses at levels I, II, and III. At times the Unit will receive patients that start received medications for specific reasons or they have received pain medications for post-surgery purposes. Typically, the patients have received both fentanyl (a short-acting pain medication) and dilaudid (long-acting) pain medication. At times the anesthesiologist will not report when they gave the last dose of pain medication. The medication has been administered early in some cases, or late in the case of the patient having been in the operating(a) room. However, this study is documented on the anesthesia work sheet. The Unit receives the patient from the operating room (OR) in the PACU and the patient may screaming or saying they are in pain. Also, at times they are not breathing very well at all and need stimulation, oral...However, this information is documented on the anesthesia work sheet. The Unit receives the patient from the operating room (OR) in the PACU and the patient may screaming or saying they are in pain. Also, at times they are not breathing very well at all and need stimulation, oral airways, nasal airways, and Narcan.Nurses tend to come apart a lot of dilaudid in five-minute increments per the anesthesia orders, not knowing it peaks in one hour. It is problematical to determine where patients are in the opioid cycle as they may be still sedated from anesthesia and not the pain meds. Thus, the patients may have too much dilaudid or fentanyl on board upon reach to the PACU. Sometimes the best choice is to use the fentanyl-which is short-acting and has a peak time of 30 minutes and meek amounts of the dilaudid. If a nurse gives a patient too much of either fentanyl or dilaudid, the patient may stop breathing or have complications which is considered a medication error and/or overdose. Managing pain medication in the PACU based on assessment is an art. It takes experience, great assessment skills, and knowing ones medications. Administering too much may slow the patients breathing down and narcan may be needed to be given.