Author Question: The nurse is attempting to ambulate a postoperative client who continues to rate his pain as a 7 on ... (Read 28 times)

jman1234 · **on:** Jul 23, 2018

The nurse is attempting to ambulate a postoperative client who continues to rate his pain as a 7 on a scale of 0 to 10, with 10 being the most severe.

The client is reluctant to walk and consents to move only to the chair, reporting that it hurts too much to walk. The nurse's primary concern regarding the client's recovery related to his pain experience is that:
1. His pain medications are not effectively managing his pain
2. He does not fully understand the importance of ambulation
3. He is expending too much of his energy dealing with the pain
4. He is not ready to participate in the activities needed to recover quickly

Question 2

The nurse is attempting to ambulate an older adult client who recently experienced a fall at the assisted living facility where he resides.

The client is reluctant to walk and consents to move only to the chair, reporting that it hurts too much to walk. Which of the following nursing interventions is most therapeutic regarding this client?
1. Allow the client to remain in bed in order to conserve his energy.
2. Transfer him to the chair, realizing some activity is preferable to none.
3. Call his health care provider to discuss the apparent ineffectiveness of his pain medications.
4. Assess the client for other factors that may be affecting his ability and motivation to ambulate.

Tonyam972 · **Reply #1 on:** Jul 23, 2018

Answer to Question 1

ANS: 4
Efforts aimed at teaching and motivating the client toward self-care are often hampered until the pain is successfully managed. Thus a primary nursing goal is to provide pain relief that allows clients to participate in their recovery. Although the remaining options are not inappropriate, they do not express the major concern regarding his recovery.

Answer to Question 2

ANS: 4
The perception of pain is affected by both physical and emotional factors. The client may be ex-pressing concern over his ability or desire to return to the assisted living facility and so perceives the pain as a barrier to ambulating. Thus physical pain can cause psychological pain and vice ver-sa. The other options are either not therapeutic or not the initial action to be taken.