Mophine IM vs IV

[MrsMommaRN]

i recently started working on a busy orthopedic floor. we often have standing orders for morphine 6mg to 10mg im or iv. what i am finding is a lot of the nurses that have been around awhile like to give it im while the newer set like to give it iv. i'd like to hear what all of you out there think and what your rationale behind giving the drug im vs. iv. thanks in advance for your replies.

[FLAreN]

I would give it IV if there is access. If the patient is an ortho patient then pain is definitely part of their careplan. I would especially give it IV if they were post-op. . .works faster but you just have to monitor for respiratory depression or allergies.

[jax]

We give our post op/ pre op ortho pt.s subcut morphine. Only icu/ccu/ed give iv morphine in my hospital, we are not permitted to on the floor, due to high staff/pt. ratios and inability to monitor closely. I find that if the patients do not have a PCA, subcut morphine is very effective- it lasts and does not hurt like an IM injection .

[Elvish, BSN, DNP, RN, NP]

If I can avoid causing a patient more pain (IM injection) in order to relieve their pain, I will. Therefore, I give pain meds IV whenever I can. Most of our post-op orders are for IM/IV also, but at first they all have an IV, so why not?? This is all, of course, IMHO.