Difficulty: Medium
Average Score: 76%
Full-length
The nurse is caring for a postoperative client who reports a pain level of 8 out of 10. The client has an order for morphine 4 mg IV every 4 hours as needed. What is the nurse's priority action?
Correct answer
B
Rationale
Assessing vital signs and pain characteristics ensures the pain is accurately evaluated and the morphine is safe to administer, considering potential side effects like respiratory depression.