Reduce Opioid Use - A Nurse's Role

Recently, in the news there has been a lot of reporting in regards to the need for reduced opioid use. I could not agree more. Although, clearly it is a problem. Last week, I spoke with two patients. Both of them stated that they specifically asked to not be given any opioids, and they received them anyways. One patient did not want them, because they have a tendency to make him confused. The other patient did not want them because they make him nauseous. Nurses have the responsibility to advocate for their patients. That means the nurses should be making physicians aware of things like that. Nurses should also be educating patients on medication, this way the patient can be involved in their own pain management.

Patients are all different. They have different pain tolerances. There are many alternatives to opioids. For instance, there are other types of pain medication. There are over the counter medications, such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen and naproxen. There is also a medication called tramadol, which is stronger than over the counter pain medications, but not as strong as narcotics. There are also alternatives to pain medication. One example of this is cold therapy. The use of ice packs can really reduce a patients pain. Heat therapy can also be used. Distraction, such as the patient watching their favorite comedy on television can make them forget about their pain. There is also repositioning, a patient being positioned in various ways can alleviate pain. There are many other ways to decrease a patients pain. It is the nurses role to educate the patient on pain management, so that they can try different methods to control their pain.