Difficulty: Medium
Average Score: 86%
Practice
The nurse is caring for a client who is 4 hours post-operative from abdominal surgery. The client is complaining of severe pain. What is the nurse's first action?
Correct answer
A
Rationale
The correct first action for the nurse to take when a post-operative client complains of severe pain is to reassess the pain and its characteristics. Reassessment is crucial to understand the nature and intensity of the pain, which will guide the nurse in providing appropriate interventions. Administering pain medication may be necessary but should only be done after reassessment to ensure the right medication and dose are given. Notifying the surgeon may be required in certain situations, but reassessment of pain should precede this action. Encouraging relaxation techniques is not the priority when a client is experiencing severe pain post-operatively.