A patient being treated for chronic musculoskeletal pain tells the nurse, "I feel depressed because I can't even go out and play a round of golf." The patient describes the pain as "aching" and says it is usually at a level 7 of a scale of 1 to10. Based on these assessment data, which patient goal is most appropriate? After treatment, the patient will

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

For chronic pain, patients are encouraged to set functional goals such as being able to perform daily activities and hobbies. The patient has identified playing golf as the desired activity, so a pain level of 2 or 10 or a decrease in aching would be less useful in evaluating successful treatment. The nurse should also assess for depression, but the patient has identified the depression as being due to the inability to play golf, so the goal of being able to play 1 or 2 rounds of golf is the most appropriate.

A Patient Being Treated for Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain Tells the Nurse