The nurse is attempting to ambulate a postoperative client who continu

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

ANSWER

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.