Pharmacological and Parenteral TherapiesQuestion 745 of 2368
A client's spouse says they will press the PCA button for the client when the client falls asleep in pain. What is the nurse's best response?
- You may press it, since the pump limits the total dose per hour
- You may press it if the client is grimacing or moaning in pain
- Only the client may press it, to show they are alert enough for a dose
- You may press it only during the first hour of therapy sessions
Show answer
Correct answer: Only the client may press it, to show they are alert enough for a dose
Only the client should start a demand dose. This helps avoid oversedation and life-threatening respiratory depression.
Source: Nursing Advanced Skills (Open RN, Chippewa Valley Technical College, 2023), Initiate IV Therapy: Patient-Controlled Analgesia. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Practice the topic "Pharmacological and Parenteral Therapies"Questions last reviewed: 18 October 2026