A 54-year-old man was referred by his urologist for evaluation. The client has been complaining of testicular pain for several years

Question

Diagnostic testing and imaging showed nothing abnormal and the clinician was reluctant to perform any invasive procedures. The client has a long history of disorders with the primary feature of pain. The nurse should take which of the following actions?
A) Confront him with the fact that he is attention seeking.
B) Refer him to a pain management program.
C) Perform a comprehensive assessment.
D) Treat his pain with placebos.

Answer 1

Ans: C
Feedback:
A complete review of systems, including vital signs and laboratory work, is indicated. Nurses must elicit information about current and past medical history. In particular, a complete history of help-seeking behaviors through the medical care system is essential, including any diagnostic testing, workups, hospitalizations, and outpatient surgeries. Critical areas of assessment include sleep, appetite, weight gain or loss, and bowel function. Evaluating these can help to rule out psychiatric comorbidities, such as sleep, eating, mood, or anxiety disorders. Confrontation and pain treatment may be premature and the use of placebos is unethical.