During the nurse's initial assessment of a school-age child, the child reports a pain level of 6 out of 10. The child is lying quietly in bed watching television. The nurse should:

Question

1. Reassess the child in 15 minutes to see if the pain rating has changed.
2. Administer the prescribed analgesic.
3. Do nothing, since the child appears to be resting.
4. Ask the child's parents if they think the child is hurting.

Answer 1

2
Rationale 1: There is no need to reassess, as the child needs pain medication now.
Rationale 2: School-age children are old enough to report their pain level accurately. A pain score of six is an indication for prompt administration of pain medication. The child might be trying to be brave or might be lying still because movement is painful.
Rationale 3: The child might be lying quietly because movement increases the pain.
Rationale 4: The school-age child can answer for herself and does not need the parents to answer for her.
Global Rationale: