Purpose

The purpose of this Discussion is to explore how to individualize an assessment of the musculoskeletal system while examining ethical dilemmas related to pain management and to explore challenges and health promotion opportunities in conducting a gastrointestinal assessment.

Course Outcomes

This Discussion enables the student to meet the following course outcomes:

• CO 1: Demonstrate a head-to-toe physical assessment. (PO 1)
• CO 3: Describe physical, psychosocial, cultural, and spiritual influences on an individual’s health status. (PO 4)
• CO 4: Demonstrate effective communication skills during health assessment and documentation. (PO 3)
• CO 6: Demonstrate caring and professional behavior during patient interactions. (POs 6, 7)

SOLUTION:

Paragraph one: Discuss the ethical dilemmas related to pain management in treating musculoskeletal disorders, including balancing the need for pain relief with the risk of opioid dependence. What is the nurse’s role in assessing pain and opioid use?

There is an opioid pandemic in the US. Nurses can make a significant difference by identifying individuals who are at risk. The nurse should utilize pain assessment tools to evaluate the patient’s pain and follow the physician’s orders. The nurse should also provide education regarding the risks and benefits of opioid use in pain management. Several opioid risk tools can be used to assess opioid use disorder or opioid misuse. There is the screener and opioid assessment for patients with pain revised (SOAPP-R); Diagnosis, intractability, risk and efficacy (DIRE) score; Opioid risk tool for opioid use disorder (ORT-OUD), and the opioid compliance checklist (OCC) (St. Marie, 2019). These tools can be used to plan safe and effective pain management, reassure patients that their pain will be managed, and inform patients with a history of substance abuse that safeguards will be used (St. Marie, 2019). The ethical principles of beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice provide guidance to ethical dilemmas surrounding opioid use and pain management. In terms of beneficence, opioid use can control pain, thus leading to improved patient outcomes and function (Carnago et al., 2024). In terms of non-maleficence, the knowledge that some patients will become dependent on opioids and that this dependence could lead to a harmful addiction implies one should refrain from using opioids to manage pain (Carnago et al., 2024). In terms of justice, patients have a right to quality care and effective pain management (Carnago et al., 2024). This means that while there are still ethical debates regarding opioid use, it may still be the most effective and efficient way to treat the patient’s pain………………………………….KINDLY CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW TO ACCESS THE ENTIRE DOCUMENT FOR $10