The nurse receives a hand-off report. One client is described as a drug seeker who is obsessed with even tiny changes in physical condition and is "on the light constantly" asking for more pain medication. When assessing this client's pain, what statement
a. "Help me understand how pain is affecting you right now."
b. "I wish I could do more; is there anything I can get for you?"
c. "You cannot have more pain medication for 3 hours."
d. "Why do you think the medication is not helping your pain?"
ANS: A
This is an example of therapeutic communication. A client who is preoccupied with physical symptoms and is "demanding" may have some psychosocial impact from the pain that is not being addressed. The nurse is providing the client the chance to explain the emotional effects of pain in addition to the physical ones. Saying the nurse wishes he or she could do more is very empathetic, but this response does not attempt to learn more about the pain. Simply telling the client when the next medication is due also does not help the nurse understand the client's situation. "Why" questions are probing and often make clients defensive, plus the client may not have an answer for this question.
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