A 35-year-old male client shares with the nurse that he has always thought of himself as being female. The client feels anxious, embarrassed and socially isolated. How should the nurse respond to this client?

A. Tell him that he shouldn't feel embarrassed, saying that there are more people than we know who feel this way: While offering reassurance and normalization of the client's feelings may be well-intentioned, it may not address the client's immediate needs or provide tangible support. Additionally, assuming that "more people than we know" feel this way may not be accurate and could potentially invalidate the client's experience.

B. Provide information about support groups and other community resources for questioning and/or transgender people: This is the correct response. Providing information about support groups and community resources acknowledges the client's feelings and offers practical assistance in accessing additional support and resources. It demonstrates empathy, validation, and a commitment to assisting the client in finding the help and support they need.

C. Suggest that the client seek mental health care for medication to help him deal with his anxiety: While mental health care may be beneficial for addressing anxiety related to gender identity concerns, suggesting medication as the first line of treatment may not be appropriate without a comprehensive assessment by a mental health professional. Additionally, focusing solely on medication overlooks the importance of psychosocial support and other interventions.

D. Share with him that your nephew has experienced this, and tell him about that outcome: Sharing personal anecdotes may not be helpful in this situation, as it could potentially detract from the client's experience and needs. Each individual's experience with gender identity is unique, and the client may benefit more from information about professional resources and support groups.

A. Use open-ended questions to find out about the sensation: While open-ended questions can help the nurse gather information about the nature and quality of the pain, they may not provide a precise measure of pain intensity. Open-ended questions are valuable for understanding the client's subjective experience of pain, but they may not be as effective as using a pain scale for quantifying pain intensity.

B. Offer the client a pain scale to quantify the current level of pain: This is the most appropriate action for assessing pain intensity. Pain scales, such as the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) or Visual Analog Scale (VAS), allow clients to indicate their pain intensity on a scale from 0 to 10 or by marking a point along a continuum. Pain scales provide a standardized method for quantifying pain intensity, which helps healthcare providers monitor changes in pain over time and assess the effectiveness of pain management interventions.

C. Question the client about the location of the pain: While identifying the location of pain is important for understanding its source and potential underlying causes, it does not directly assess pain intensity. Location is one aspect of pain assessment but does not provide a complete picture of pain intensity on its own.

D. Ask about what precipitates the pain: Understanding what precipitates or exacerbates pain is important for comprehensive pain assessment, but it focuses more on pain triggers rather than pain intensity. While this information can be valuable for developing a holistic pain management plan, it does not directly assess the current level of pain intensity.