The nurse must frequently assess a patient experiencing pain. When assessing the intensity of the pain, which of the following actions should the nurse take?
a. Ask the patient about what precipitates the pain.
b. Ask the patient about the location of the pain.
c. Offer the patient a pain scale for more objectivity.
d. Use open-ended questions to find out about the sensation experienced.
C
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A Asking the patient what precipitates the pain does not assess intensity but rather is an assessment of the pain pattern.
B Asking the patient about the location of the pain does not assess the intensity of the patient's pain.
C Offering the patient a pain scale allows the patient the opportunity to describe the intensity of the pain. Effective and unbiased pain assessment is best achieved by making a validated pain assessment using pain assessment instruments that are developmentally appropriate, reliable, valid, and applicable for clinical use.
D To determine the quality of the patient's pain, the nurse may ask open-ended questions to find out about the sensation experienced.
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