Question

A nurse is caring for a client who is postoperative. When the nurse prepares to change her dressing, she says, "every time you change my bandage, it hurts so much." Which of the following interventions is the nurse's priority action?

Option 1: Encourage the client to relax and take deep breaths during the dressing change.
Option 2: Educate the client about the importance of the dressing change to prevent infection.
Option 3: Assist the client to a comfortable position for the dressing change.
Option 4: Administer pain medication 45 min before changing the client's dressing.

Answer 1

Administering pain medication before dressing changes is the priority to manage pain effectively. Observing for infection indicators such as redness, swelling, and pain after covering a wound is crucial to prevent complications.

Step-by-step explanation:

The nurse's priority action when a client expresses that changing the dressing hurts so much should be to administer pain medication about 45 minutes before the procedure. This preemptive pain managemdient allows the medication enough time to take effect, thus reducing the client's discomfort during the dressing change. Although the other options are also valuable in the care process, they are secondary to addressing the client's immeate pain concerns.

Monitoring for increased redness, swelling, and pain after a cut or abrasion is vital because these could be signs of an infection. For example, in the clinical case of Barbara, who had a central venous catheter implanted, the redness and warmth observed at the surgical site indicated a localized infection. Similarly, in Sam's case, a purulent wound also suggested a bacterial infection. These signs of potential infection are noted so that action, such as prescribing antibiotics or topical antiseptics, can be taken promptly to prevent further complications.