Final answer:
The nurse should document the client's description of the pain, including character, intensity, and location, using tools like the Wong-Baker Faces pain-rating scale or noting descriptive terms like 'dull ache' or 'gnawing'. These details help in assessing the quality and potential causes of the pain.
Step-by-step explanation:
When assessing for the quality of pain, a nurse should document statements from the client that describe the character of the pain experienced. This can include whether the pain is throbbing, sharp, dull, constant, or intermittent. Additionally, a client's description can entail whether the pain is a 'dull ache' or a 'gnawing' sensation as noted in an example from the provided references. Tools such as the Wong-Baker Faces pain-rating scale can be used to rate pain on a scale of 0-10, allowing for a numerical representation of pain intensity.
Another important aspect of pain assessment is noting the location of the pain, such as pain being on the left rather than the right side, where wounds are present. This could indicate referred pain, where awareness of a visceral sensation is projected to a different region of the body. The nurse should document the nature, intensity, location, and any perceived anomalies in the pain description that may provide insights into the patient's condition.