The Nurse Assesses the Pain Level of a School-Age Patient

The nurse assesses the pain level of a school-age patient who is receiving end-of-life care and determines a need for pain medication. The physician has prescribed morphine sulfate to be administered either orally or rectally. For which reason will the nurse decide to administer the medication orally?

A) To prevent the patient from being embarrassed by rectal administration
B) To ensure the pain medication is absorbed as quickly as possible
C) To avoid stimulation of rectal spasms during insertion of the medication
D) To decrease the risk of respiratory suppression