Final answer:
The nurse's priority is to administer prescribed pain medication to a postoperative client expressing pain during dressing changes, ensuring patient comfort and documenting the pain experience adequately.
Step-by-step explanation:
The nurse's priority action when a postoperative client expresses pain during dressing changes is to administer prescribed pain medication. The focus should be on effective pain management to ensure patient comfort and to facilitate healing. Administering medication as prescribed can help to alleviate pain before the procedure of changing the dressing begins. It's crucial for the recovery and care of the patient that the surgical team, including the surgeon, nurse, and anesthesia professional, communicate key concerns for the postoperative period, which often includes pain management.
After addressing the pain with appropriate medication, the nurse should proceed with the dressing change ensuring to do this with care and efficiently to minimize discomfort. Additionally, it's important to provide reassurance to the client, but pain should also be managed per the healthcare provider's orders and the institution's protocols. Finally, the nurse should also document the client's pain experience thoroughly, including their expressions of pain, the administration of any pain medication, and the client's response to the treatment, to ensure continuity of care.