Medications for Pain Relief During Labor and Delivery: In a Nutshell (Nursing)

00:01 Now, we've gotten to the end and it's important that we review everything we've learned.

00:06 So, in a nutshell, the perception of pain in labor is influenced by so many factors, including the stage of labor, preparation of the client and support.

00:17 Nursing interventions that promote comfort during labor include providing that support, engaging in position changes, making sure the client has adequate nutrition and hydration and making sure that you are preparing as the nurse for interventions such as hydrotherapy, so, non-pharmacologic methods or anesthesia.

00:39 An epidural anesthesia can result in hypotension and respiratory depression.

00:46 So, patients should have preprocedural labs, vitals and be well-hydrated.

00:51 Think about your peripheral IV and be monitored regularly.

00:55 While an epidural and spinal have similarities, they are not administered in the same space and have different uses and durations of pain relief.

01:06 And finally, signs of complications from an epidural are often hypotension, shortness of air and related fetal heart rate changes.

01:16 So, it would be appropriate to turn the client from left and right, center, left and right to make sure that we get adequate perfusion.

01:25 We can increase IV fluids, we can administer oxygen and notify the provider just as we would with any other signs of decreased perfusion of the fetus. All done.