The nurse is caring for a 64-year-old woman 4 hours after knee replacement. Although she rates her pain at 6 out of 10, she refuses pain medication and tells the nurse, "I can deal with it." Which of the following is the nurse's best response?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Encouraging the patient to talk about her concerns is the most therapeutic response in order to determine the reason for the refusal of pain medication. The comments, "OK, that's your decision" and "You're just being stubborn" are judgments and not therapeutic statements. The comment "OK, I'll come back later" is not an appropriate response in this case because nothing is done to relieve the patient's pain.

The Nurse Is Caring for a 64-Year-Old Woman 4 Hours