Certified Medical-Surgical Registered Nurse Practice Test 2025 - Free Practice Questions and Study Guide

After administering analgesics, it is crucial for a nurse to assess the effectiveness of pain management. This evaluation helps determine if the medication has relieved the patient's pain as intended and guides any further interventions that may be necessary. Pain assessment typically includes obtaining a self-reported rating of pain, observing any behavioral changes, and monitoring for any side effects that may indicate either effectiveness or adverse reactions to the medication.

While assessing a patient’s mobility level can be relevant in certain contexts, such as post-surgery rehabilitation, it does not directly reflect the immediate impact of analgesics on pain management. Monitoring for the presence of discharge is more relevant in assessing wound healing rather than pain control. Checking vital signs is essential for overall patient assessment, but these parameters alone do not provide specific information about the effectiveness of pain relief. Therefore, focusing on the patient’s pain experience is of utmost importance following the administration of analgesics.