An 82-year-old man in a rehabilitation unit had cataract surgery on his right eye 2 days ago. He also has a stage II pressure injury on his right heel from prolonged bed rest. He tells the LPN, "My eye feels itchy and sore, about a 4 out of 10," and the nurse notes he is grimacing and rubbing near the eye shield. He is alert, follows directions well, and reports his family prefers to be present for all care decisions. Vital signs are stable and within normal limits for him. Which action should the nurse take first?
- Proceed with comfort care as planned without informing the family, since the client can consent himself.
- Ask the client to rate his pain using a 0-10 numeric scale and dim the room lighting.
- Provide comfort measures now and skip further pain reassessment since he already reported a 4.
- Ask the health care provider for a stronger analgesic before trying anything else.