Pain Management Nursing Practice Exam

The administration of a back massage to a patient with pain is an appropriate task for nursing assistive personnel (NAP) to perform. This task falls within the scope of support care that NAPs are trained to deliver. A back massage can help alleviate discomfort and promote relaxation, making it a supportive intervention that does not require the specialized clinical judgment or assessment skills that registered nurses possess.

Tasks that involve initial assessments or complex critical thinking, like assessing a patient's pain levels or vital signs in specific contexts, are the responsibility of licensed nurses. This ensures that any potential changes in a patient’s condition are properly monitored and managed. For example, assessing pain requires evaluation of severity, context, and impact on function, which NAPs are not trained to perform independently. Similarly, administering patient-controlled analgesia and monitoring for its effects, particularly in a postoperative patient, also requires nursing judgment and an understanding of pharmacology, contraindications, and patient safety which is beyond the NAP's scope.

By delegating a back massage to NAPs, nurses can effectively manage their time and ensure that patients receive holistic care while maintaining focus on more complex assessments and interventions that necessitate professional nursing skills.