Mary Johnson is an African-American nurse
working in the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit
(PACU). When Mrs. Li, a recent immigrant
from China, arrives in the PACU following a major bowel resection for cancer, Mary
assesses Mrs. Li for pain. Mary notes that Mrs.
Li is not complaining about pain, is lying quietly in her bed, and has a stoic facial expression. Mary comments to another nurse that
“all Chinese patients seem to do just fine without post-operative pain medications. I’m not
going to administer any analgesics unless she
asks me for something.” Do you agree with
Nurse Johnson’s assessment of Mrs. Li’s pain?
What nonverbal manifestations of pain would
you assess? How would you reply to Nurse
Johnson’s statement that she doesn’t intend to
administer any pain medication.