Medical-Surgical Nursing:Assessment and Managementof Clinical Problems 9th Edition by Sharon Lewis,Shannon Ruff Dirksen,Margaret McLean Heitkemper,Linda Bucher

Exercise 2

Priority Decision: The patient with advanced cancer is having difficulty controlling her pain.She says she is afraid she will become addicted to the opioids.What is the first thing the nurse should do for this patient?
A) Administer a nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug.
B) Assess the patient's vital signs and behavior to determine the medication to use.
C) Have the patient keep a pain diary to better assess the patient's potential addiction.
D) Obtain a detailed pain history including quality, location, intensity, duration, and type of pain.