Answer Happy

A patient was admitted from home to a medical unit with a diagnosis of sickle cell crisis. He has been admitted several times in the last few months with the same diagnosis. After he is admitted he asks for pain medication and states, "I only want morphine, nothing else works. My pain is a 10 on the 0-10 pain scale." The nurse that helped you admit the patient tells you outside the room that the patient is just "drug-seeking". She further states, "Can you believe he only wants morphine?" In this situation: • How should you respond to your colleague? • What are your ethical obligations to the patient? • Why do you think the patient asks for a specific pain medication? • What questions are pertinent to ask the patient?