Pain Medication

Specialties Med-Surg

Published

Hi All,

I am a recent graduate who was blessed to be hired on a Med Surg floor. I absolutely love it!

I've asked my preceptor and done some research but I am still coming up short on this topic. Does anyone have a credible source that can help me distinguish the differences in pain medications in terms of strength. I have read a few threads on here with people saying Percocet is stronger than Lortab/Norco etc.

Frequently the Physician will have both Norco and Percocet ordered. Normally I look at what the patient has been receiving, ask them how effective it has been working for them base the dose (1-2 tabs based on the severity of their pain). However I would like a better understanding of the differences in strength between the medications to help me make more educated nursing judgment decisions when it comes to administering pain medication.

So... Any one know of a credible website that I could use as a reference?

Thanks!

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Specializes in Cardiac/Neuro Stepdown.

good question take a look at these tables.

Opioid comparison - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Conversion among Different Opioids

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Specializes in Certified Med/Surg tele, and other stuff.

Chris Pasero has many books and articles out on the web. She is the inventer of the Pasero pain scale. Excellent speaker. If you ever have the opportunity go listen to her speak.

I think narcotic administration is an art form. Everyone responds differently. What works for one, might not work for the next person, and there is a fine line at times with pain control and overdosing, you know?

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