Question

The nurse is caring for a 7-year-old post-op child who is reporting an 8 out of 10 on a pain intensity scale. The child's mother is requesting pain medication. The child received ibuprofen three hours ago. What is the correct nursing action?

Option 1:
A. Administering the requested pain medication

Option 2:
B. Encouraging non-pharmacological pain relief methods

Option 3:
C. Assessing the child's pain using a different pain scale

Option 4:
D. Consulting with the healthcare provider for further orders

Answer 1

The correct nursing action would be to assess the child's pain using a different pain scale.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct nursing action in this scenario would be to Option 3: C. Assess the child's pain using a different pain scale.

When a child is experiencing pain, it is important to accurately assess and document their pain intensity. The nurse should use a variety of pain assessment tools to collect data and determine the child's level of pain. In this case, since the child is already receiving ibuprofen and the pain is still significant, it would be appropriate to assess the child's pain using a different pain scale to get a more comprehensive understanding of their pain level.

Once the pain assessment is done, the nurse can then consult with the healthcare provider for further orders or consider non-pharmacological pain relief methods if appropriate.