Which item is included as part of single-starred criteria related to pain?

• A. Pain assessment using appropriate pain scale
• B. Administration of analgesics immediately
• C. Document analgesic response only if pain persists
• D. Vital signs alone suffice for pain assessment

Answer: (A)

Pain should be assessed using a validated scale that fits the patient’s age, cognitive status, and ability to communicate. This step captures the patient’s subjective experience of pain in a consistent way, which guides timely and appropriate analgesia and enables you to re-evaluate effectiveness after treatment. Relying only on vital signs isn’t enough because pain intensity can vary independently of heart rate, blood pressure, or respiratory rate, and nonverbal or stressed patients may not express pain in those ways. Administering analgesics should follow assessment and be paired with subsequent re-assessment to document response and adjust care as needed.