The nurse receives a hand-off report. One client is described as ...

[abc]

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?

Question 2

A nurse is assessing pain in an older adult. What action by the nurse is best?
 
  a. Ask only yes-or-no questions so the client doesn't get too tired.
  b. Give the client a picture of the pain scale and come back later.
  c. Question the client about new pain only, not normal pain from aging.
  d. Sit down, ask one question at a time, and allow the client to answer.

[rachel]

Answer to Question 1

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.

Answer to Question 2

ANS: D
Some older clients do not report pain because they think it is a normal part of aging or because they do not want to be a bother. Sitting down conveys time, interest, and availability. Ask only one question at a time and allow the client enough time to answer it. Yes-or-no questions are an example of poor communication technique. Giving the client a pain scale, then leaving, might give the impression that the nurse does not have time for the client. Plus the client may not know how to use it. There is no normal pain from aging.

[abc]

Thanks for the timely response, appreciate it

[marict]

TYSM