Ten minutes after receiving the ordered preoperative opioid by intravenous (IV) injection, the patient asks to get up to go to the bathroom to urinate. What is the most appropriate nursing action?

• A. Assist the patient to the bathroom and stay with the patient to prevent falls.
• B. Offer a urinal or bedpan and position the patient in bed to promote voiding.
• C. Allow the patient up to the bathroom because the onset of the medication takes more than 10 minutes.
• D. Ask the patient to wait because catheterization is performed at the beginning of the surgical procedure.

Answer: (B)

After IV opioid administration, the most important consideration is safety due to sedation and possible urinary retention from the opioid’s effects on the bladder reflex. Helping the patient void without getting out of bed minimizes fall risk and allows the nurse to monitor urine output and ease of voiding. Providing a urinal or bedpan and staying with the patient supports voiding in a controlled, safe way while keeping the patient on a stable surface.

Ambulating to the bathroom soon after receiving an opioid increases the chance of a fall or fainting because of dizziness and impaired coordination. Rushing to void is also less reliable if urinary retention is present, which opioids can contribute to. Waiting for catheterization isn’t routine care unless retention becomes problematic, and giving permission to stand up does not align with safety in the immediate preoperative period.