When educating a newly licensed nurse about skeletal traction, what should be included in the teaching?

Administering prescribed opioid analgesics around the clock is an important aspect of managing pain for a patient in skeletal traction. Effective pain management is crucial in maintaining patient comfort, promoting mobility, and supporting healing processes. Opioids may be used to provide significant pain relief for patients who are likely to experience discomfort due to the traction and the underlying fracture or injury. By adhering to a scheduled regimen of analgesics, the nurse helps ensure that the patient remains comfortable and that pain does not become a barrier to progress in their recovery.

Pain control can also facilitate other aspects of care, including therapy and rehabilitation exercises, which can be critical to the patient’s overall recovery trajectory. Therefore, it's essential for nurses to prioritize pain management when managing patients in skeletal traction to optimize outcomes.