A nurse is caring for a patient who recently had an abdominal hysterectomy and states that she is experiencing severe pain. The patient's blood pressure is 110/60, and her heart rate is 60
Additionally, the patient does not appear to be in any distress. Which response by the nurse is most therapeutic?
a. "Your vitals do not show that you are having pain; can you describe your pain?"
b. "You do not look like you are in pain."
c. "OK, I will go get you some narcotic pain relievers immediately."
d. "What would you like to try to alleviate your pain?"
D
The nurse must believe that a patient is in pain whenever the patient reports that he or she is in pain, even if the patient does not appear to be in pain. Whenever the patient reports pain, the nurse needs to collaborate with the patient to determine the best method of pain relief, whether it be medication, meditation, or repositioning. The nurse must be careful to not judge the patient based on vital signs or nonverbal communication and must not assume that the patient is seeking narcotics. The patient is a partner in pain management, so going to get narcotics to treat the pain without consulting with the patient first is not appropriate.
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