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A client with metastatic bone cancer is requesting pain medication. Which approach should the nurse use to assess the quality of the client's pain?

User Jethro
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Final answer:

To assess the quality of a metastatic bone cancer patient's pain, a nurse should use a pain assessment tool like the Wong-Baker Faces scale or the Mosby pain rating scale. These tools allow patients to rate their pain on a numerical scale or use facial expressions to describe the intensity, which helps medical professionals manage the pain effectively based on the subjective experiences of the patient.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question asks about the correct approach a nurse should use to assess the quality of a client's pain in the case of metastatic bone cancer. In medical practice, pain assessment scales like the Wong-Baker Faces pain-rating scale or the Mosby pain rating scale are commonly used tools. These scales help in assessing pain by using a numerical value to represent the intensity of pain, considering pain as a subjective experience that cannot be objectively measured like other symptoms.

In this scenario, the nurse should use a pain assessment tool to evaluate and quantify the client's pain. The client could be asked to rate their pain on a scale, such as 0-10, with 0 representing no pain and 10 indicating the highest level of pain imaginable. Alternatively, the nurse could use a tool like the Wong-Baker Faces scale, which uses facial expressions to help patients express their pain level.

It's important that the nurse also considers other factors such as the location, duration, and type of pain (e.g., sharp, dull, throbbing), as these will aid in providing a comprehensive assessment and subsequent pain management.

User Kamae
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