After abdominal surgery, the client is complaining of pain. What should the nurse do?

• A. Wait and observe for 15 minutes
• B. Administer pain medication
• C. Apply heat packs to the abdomen
• D. Document and monitor without analgesia

Answer: (B)

Postoperative pain management is about recognizing pain and treating it quickly to prevent complications and support healing. When the client reports pain after abdominal surgery, the nurse should administer the prescribed analgesic promptly and reassess the pain after it takes effect. Providing analgesia helps the client take deep breaths, cough effectively, and move around, which reduces the risk of atelectasis, pneumonia, and delayed recovery. Heat packs are not a substitute for analgesia in the immediate postoperative period and may not be appropriate right after abdominal surgery. Waiting and observing delays relief, and simply documenting and monitoring without analgesia leave the patient in pain and miss an essential therapeutic step.