The postoperative client has been noting a steady decline in the amount of pain experienced over the past week. Today, upon awakening, the pain is far more severe even at rest. Which priority intervention should the nurse perform for this client?
1. Assessing the client fully and notifying the health care provider
2. Explaining to the client that it is not unusual to have a recurrence of severe pain in the rehabilitative phase of recovery
3. Administering stronger opioid analgesics and documenting in the client's medical record
4. Explaining that the extra activity the client has been performing is the cause of the increased discomfort
Correct Answer: 1
A sudden increase in pain can indicate infection or other complications, so the nurse's priority intervention is to assess the client fully and notify the health care provider prior to administering an analgesic, in case the description of the pain is required for the primary care provider to determine cause. It is unusual for the recurrence of pain in the rehabilitative phase. Administering a strong analgesic without proper assessment is not appropriate. Telling the client that the increased discomfort is caused by extra activity is incorrect as it ignores the importance of the symptoms reported by the client.
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