A Nurse on a Postsurgical Unit Is Providing Care for a 76-Year-Old

A nurse on a postsurgical unit is providing care for a 76-year-old female client who is 2 days posthemiarthroplasty (hip replacement) and who states that her pain has been out of control for the last several hours, though she is not exhibiting signs of pain. Which of the following guidelines should the nurse use for short-term and long-term treatment of the client's pain?

A) Reconciling the client's need for opioid analgesics with the risk of addiction to these drugs
B) Recognizing the client's pain is not likely self-limiting
C) Knowing that the client's self-report of pain is the most reliable indicator of pain
D) Realizing that chronic pain is likely to require innovative and complex treatment