khall7398

Thank you. It was fast. I was just curious about the pain meds being available as prn orders and now I realize how different every situation is. I appreciate the responses- it helps me to learn about things I can expect when I finish school and begin practicing as an RN.

He was taken to the ER after a fall and it was noticed that he had jaundice, tests were done and it showed the tumors so he was admitted. Unfortunately he passed away the day before he was scheduled to begin receiving hospice care. I appreciate your responses and understand what you are saying about not having answers because every circumstance is different. This experience has shown me the importance of advocating for my patients and their families.

I'm sorry, but I have to vent. Recently, a loved one of mine was admitted to the hospital with tumors covering his liver. He was given days to live. He was not initially given pain medication due to the fact that he was not complaining of pain. However, after a few days, he began moaning from severe pain. He was in an altered state of consciousness, but it was clear through his expressions that he was in pain. Confusion had set in and he had trouble communicating it verbally; however, he indicated he was experiencing pain. Several members of my family, including myself, informed the nurse immediately that he was showing signs of being in pain. It took 2 hours to get pain medication for this individual. It was awful having to watch someone I love suffer for that long during their final hours of being alive. I am not placing any blame on the nurse because, although she was busy, she made getting this medication a priority. However, getting the physician to write the order and the pharmacy to send it to the floor took that long... I have only completed one semester of nursing school and may be naive, but this seems like an excessive amount of time to get pain medication to an individual who is receiving end-of-life and comfort-based care. Is it not acceptable for physicians to prescribe prn morphine orders for somebody who has liver cancer? I do not like speculating so I would appreciate any feedback from experienced nurses on this situation. It was very upsetting to have to experience this and I would appreciate any advice that can help me prevent something like this happening when I am practicing as a nurse.

I am finishing up A&P this semester and was in the same boat as you. I definitely recommend freshening up on BIO and Chemistry a little bit as well as taking advantage of tools such as cliff notes or internet sites. There are plenty of websites available that can quiz you and help you practice A&P so that you are well-prepared for class. Also, make sure you take some time to read the material before each class period, that way you are familiar with what is being taught and you can actually focus on comprehending the material rather than writing it all down. Hope these tips help you as much as they've helped me! Good luck!