Which of the following statements made by a nurse shows the greatest u

Which of the following statements made by a nurse shows the greatest understanding of the personal nature of the pain experience?

1. “I have experienced pain before, and so I have great compassion for anyone deal-ing with pain.”
2. “People handle pain differently, but everyone in pain is only interested in having the pain stop.”
3. “Managing a client’s pain is the single most important thing a nurse can do for a client experiencing pain.”
4. “I can only accept what the client reports concerning the pain being felt and at-tempt to intervene successfully in its management.”

ANSWER

ANS: 4
The nurse cannot see or feel the client’s pain. Pain is purely subjective; no two persons experience pain in the same way, and no two painful events create identical responses or feelings in a person. A nursing responsibility requires that the nurse make good faith attempts to help minimize the pain and to advocate for the client to this end. The remaining options, while not inappropriate, do not express the most therapeutic attitude toward the nursing role regarding client pain.