A nurse administers 20 mg of morphine sulfate, PO, to a patient. The nurse should reassess the patient's pain rating:
Explanation
•Oral pain medications, like morphine, take up to one hour to peak. Though some relief may come with drug onset, the nurse should reassess for pain one hour after administration to ensure that peak efficacy has been achieved.
•For IV pain medications, the nurse should reassess 30 minutes after administration.