A client with a history of chronic back pain is questioning the need t

A client with a history of chronic back pain is questioning the need to “keep asking for pain medication,” fearing that he will be viewed as being weak by his family. The most therapeutic nursing response to this client would be:

1. “Chronic back pain is very difficult to deal with; utilize the pain medication be-cause that’s what it’s there for.”
2. “Your family won’t think you’re weak; they want you to be comfortable, and the medication will help.”
3. “Taking the medication as prescribed will help you to be more active; your family will be happy you can do things with them again.”
4. “It’s important that you manage your pain as effectively as possible; it really doesn’t matter what other people think about you.”

ANSWER

ANS: 3
As a nurse, you encourage clients to accept pain-relieving measures so that they remain active. Clients who have a low pain tolerance (level of pain a person is willing to put up with) are some-times inaccurately perceived as whiners or weak. The client needs to learn that effective, appro-priate pain management is essential to his physical and emotional well-being. Although the re-maining options are not incorrect, they do not display the degree of understanding the answer does.