A 44-year-old client shares with the admitting nurse that the client i

A 44-year-old client shares with the admitting nurse that the client is having epigastric pain that the client identifies as a 7 on a 0 to 10 scale.

In order to plan for the pain management of this client, which is the most appropriate response from the nurse?
1. “What would be a satisfactory level of pain control for us to achieve?”
2. “You don’t look like you’re in that much pain.”
3. “You’ll be pain-free following your surgery.”
4. “I’ve cared for a client with a nail in his head who only rated his pain as a 5; are you sure your pain is a 7?”

ANSWER

ANS: 1
Complete pain relief is not always achievable, but reducing pain to a tolerable level is realistic. Thus a primary nursing goal is to provide pain relief that allows clients to participate in their re-covery. Successful pain management does not necessarily mean pain elimination, but rather at-tainment of a mutually agreed-upon pain-relief goal that allows clients to control their pain in-stead of the pain controlling them. A person in pain feels distress or suffering and seeks relief. However, you as the nurse cannot see or feel the client’s pain. It is realistic that the client will most likely experience postoperative pain. The nurse should not use a pain scale to compare the pain of one client to that of another client.