Medsurg nursing : official journal of the Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses
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Interpleural analgesia offers effective postoperative pain control and can enhance patient participation in pulmonary care regimens. Nurses play a vital role in the management of these patients by assisting with interpleural analgesia administration and monitoring patient outcomes.
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To use staff more effectively on a medical telemetry unit, nurses collaborated with clinical engineers to incorporate a commercially available pocket pager with a dysrhythmia detection system. Nurses carry a pocket pager which beeps and displays the patient's room number when a dysrhythmia is detected. This system eliminates the need for a telemetry monitor watcher and provides nurses with ongoing information about their patients. It also created an annual savings of approximately $130,000.
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Patients with cancer can experience a variety of cancer and non-cancer-related pain problems. Medical-surgical nurses are in an ideal position to perform a comprehensive assessment of the cancer patient to determine if pain is a significant problem for the patient and what effect, if any, the pain is having on the patient's quality of life. The pain management plan is predicted on an accurate assessment and ongoing evaluation of the pain complaint as well as related symptoms.