Medsurg nursing : official journal of the Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses
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Patients with substance abuse history make up 14% of inpatient admissions to acute care units, where it has been reported a great deal of patient pain is unrelieved (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration [SAMHSA], 2009. Definitions of substance abuse terms including tolerance, dependence, addiction, and pseudoaddiction are essential to a nurse's understanding of pain medication administration in patients with substance abuse history. Pain management is one of the nurse's main responsibilities, and using the principles of autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice can guide the nurse to making appropriate pain management decisions for and with these patients. Nursing implications and resources for more information are discussed.
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Postoperative ileus (POI) is a possible complication after abdominal surgery. The exact pathophysiology is unknown. Nurses should be aware of associated symptoms and evidence-based treatments to prevent or reduce the time of POI.
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Physician-nurse collaborative relationships not only have an impact on the daily work environment, but also on positive patient outcomes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate physician and nurse perceptions of collaboration before and after implementation of collaborative patient rounding.