Final answer:
The priority nursing question to determine the nature of a client's left shoulder pain is to ask them to rate their pain using the pain scale, as it provides a clear, immediate measure of pain intensity needed for care decisions and tracking changes.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a nurse is performing a problem-focused assessment on a client reporting left shoulder pain, determining the nature and characteristics of that pain is a priority. The most immediate question to ask would be to rate the pain using the pain scale discussed (option 4), as it provides a quantifiable measure of the pain's intensity. This information is critical for assessing the severity of the condition and planning subsequent interventions. A symbolic interactionist might view this method as a way to give a voice to the patient's subjective experience, creating a common language between patient and provider. It is also important to determine if the pain could be referred pain, which might indicate a more serious underlying condition, such as a heart attack suggested by left shoulder and arm pain. Furthermore, a thorough assessment would involve understanding what worsens the pain, potential relief methods, and the onset of the pain, but initially quantifying the pain is essential for immediate care decisions and to track changes over time.