A nurse on a medical-surgical unit is collecting data from a client who is postoperative following abdominal surgery.
The client’s BP was 126/72 mm Hg 15 min ago. The nurse now finds that the client’s BP is 176/96 mm Hg. Which of the following actions should the nurse take?

The correct answer is choice A. Use a communication board to interact with the client.

A communication board is a tool that allows the client to point to words, pictures, or symbols that express their needs, feelings, or pain level.

This is an effective way to communicate with a client who speaks a different language than the nurse and is unable to verbalize their pain.

Choice B is wrong because an assistive personnel who speaks the same language as the client is not a qualified interpreter and may not be able to convey the client’s pain accurately or maintain confidentiality.

Choice C is wrong because the FLACC scale is a measurement used to assess pain for children between the ages of 2 months and 7 years or individuals that are unable to communicate their pain.

It is not appropriate for a client who is 6 hours postoperative and can communicate their pain using a communication board.

Choice D is wrong because the FACES pain scale is a self-report measure of pain intensity developed for children.

It uses facial expressions to rate the severity of pain in children from 0-103.

It is not suitable for a client who speaks a different language than the nurse and may not understand the meaning of the faces.

It's common practice to check blood pressure in both arms when there is a significant discrepancy in blood pressure readings between the arms. This discrepancy could be due to factors like arterial blockages or other conditions. By measuring the blood pressure in the other arm, the nurse can confirm whether the high blood pressure is consistent on both sides or if there was an issue with the initial measurement. This step helps provide a more accurate assessment of the client's blood pressure.

- The other options are not appropriate at this stage:

Deflating the cuff faster may not resolve the issue and could lead to inaccurate measurements.

Requesting a prescription for an antihypertensive medication should only be done after confirming the blood pressure is consistently elevated and under the direction of a healthcare provider.

Using a narrower cuff is not indicated in this situation. It's more important to assess the other arm's blood pressure to identify any discrepancies.