The nurse is providing range-of-motion exercising to the client’s elbo

The nurse is providing range-of-motion exercising to the client’s elbow when the client complains of pain. What action should the nurse take?

1. Stop immediately and report the pain to the client’s physician.
2. Discontinue the treatment and document the results in the medical record.
3. Reduce the movement of the joint just until the point of slight resistance.
4. Continue to exercise the joint as before to loosen the stiffness.

ANSWER

Correct Answer: 3
Rationale 1: Stopping the treatment is not justified until an assessment occurs.
Rationale 2: Stopping the exercises is not justified until an assessment occurs.
Rationale 3: Range-of-motion exercising should never cause discomfort. In this case, the best action is to reduce the movement of the joint just until the point of slight resistance is felt and evaluate the pain response at that level. If there is no pain, the exercise can be continued.
Rationale 4: Continuing at the same level of intensity may cause damage to the joint as well as cause the client pain.