Question

a nurse is caring for a client who is postoperative following a total knee arthroplasty and is prescribed a continuous passive motion (cpm) machine and pca. the client tells the nurse, \i am in so much pain.\ which of the following actions should the nurse take first? remind the client to push the button for the pca device. discuss activities the client may use to distract from the pain. ask the client to describe the characteristics of the pain. pause the cpm machine briefly to apply a cold pack to the client’s knee.

Explanation:

In nursing (under Natural Science - Nursing subfield), the first step in pain management is to assess the pain. Asking the client to describe the pain's characteristics (location, intensity, quality, etc.) is crucial for proper intervention. Reminding to use PCA, distraction, or applying cold pack are interventions that come after assessment. So the correct action is to assess the pain first by asking about its characteristics.

Answer:

C. Ask the client to describe the characteristics of the pain.