Student nurse needs help with your knowledge about pain medications

I am a student nurse graduating as an RN in May of this year. I am currently in a management clinical on a renal/oncology floor. I have been very touched by your stories of survival, and I have seen some problems on the unit where I am currently working. As part of my curriculum, I am required to write a paper based on a problem that I see. I have noticed that there are several bariatric patients that had surgery many years ago who are now on our floor for either kidney problems or cancer (something usually unrelated to having bariatric surgey). There are these new extended-release pain medications that doctors and nurses are being pushed to use on all patients in order to have continuous pain relief. I know from clinical experts that this medication cannot be absorped properly in patients who have had bariatric surgery, yet doctors are prescribing them and nurses are giving them!! Patients are not getting adequate pain relief and nobody is critically thinking that the medication goes out of their bodies before they have a chance to work! Help me help others by finding out WHAT YOU KNOW about these medications. Ms contin, oxycontin are a few. I want to know your experiences, or your knowledge about whether anybody has ever told you not to take them becasue they will not work!! Thanks so much-this paper could go on to get published and make a huge difference if it is good. Help me help you!

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