Question

A client who is postoperative is verbalizing pain as a 2 on the pain scale of 0-10. Which of the following statements should the nurse identify as an indication that the client understands the preoperative teaching she received about pain management?

A) "I should only ask for pain medication if the pain gets really bad."
B) "I'll try to tough it out without taking any pain medication."
C) "I'll ask for pain medication when my pain level is around 4 or 5."
D) "I'll wait until the nurse offers pain medication before requesting any."

Answer 1

The nurse should identify statement C) "I'll ask for pain medication when my pain level is around 4 or 5." as an indication that the client understands the preoperative teaching about pain management.

Step-by-step explanation:

The nurse should identify statement C) "I'll ask for pain medication when my pain level is around 4 or 5." as an indication that the client understands the preoperative teaching about pain management.

The pain scale ranges from 0 to 10, with 0 being no pain and 10 being the worst pain imaginable. Based on the client's verbalization of pain as a 2, it is appropriate for them to ask for pain medication when their pain level is around 4 or 5. This shows that the client understands the importance of proactive pain management and recognizes that pain should be addressed before it becomes too severe.