A patient with end stage pancreatic cancer and dementia is assigned to a nurse for hospice care. How can the nurse effectively provide an ongoing assessment of this patient's pain?
1. Periodically ask the patient to rank the pain on a scale of one to ten.
2. Observe the patient regularly and write anecdotal reports.
3. Observe the patient regularly and score on a scale of observable reactions.
4. Periodically ask the patient to rank the pain on a visual scale from high to low.
Answer: 3
Explanation: The Pain Assessment in Advanced Dementia (PAINAD) scale uses categories of behavior observed by the nurse to rate the patient's pain. This measurement can provide comparable scores from one observation to the next. The numerical scale and visual scales that require either verbal communication or understanding may not elicit an accurate response from a patient with dementia. Anecdotal reports do not provide an efficient method of comparison.
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