The Nurse Who Is a Member of the Palliative Care

The nurse who is a member of the palliative care team is assessing a patient. The patient indicates that he has been saving his PRN analgesics until the pain is intense because his pain control has been inadequate. What teaching should the nurse do with this patient?

A) Medication should be taken when pain levels are low so the pain is easier to reduce.
B) Pain medication can be increased when the pain becomes intense.
C) It is difficult to control chronic pain, so this is an inevitable part of the disease process.
D) The patient will likely benefit more from distraction than pharmacologic interventions.