A 52-year-old female had a hysterectomy 3 days ago and is recovering on the post-op floor. She is scheduled for an oral pain medication every 4 hours. She received her scheduled dose 1 hour ago but pushes the call light and complains of unrelenting and severe pain. The nurse should first

  • perform a full head-to-toe assessment on the client.
  • work with the client on alternate methods to relieve pain, such as guided imagery.
  • explain to the client it is not time to administer more pain medication.
  • call the physician and report the current plan for pain management is not working.
Number 1 is correct.
The nurse should fully assess the client before determining what action or intervention to take.