A client is receiving morphine sulfate by a patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) system after a left lower lobectomy 4 hours ago. The client reports moderately severe pain in the left thorax that...

A client is receiving morphine sulfate by a patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) system after a left lower lobectomy 4 hours ago. The client reports moderately severe pain in the left thorax that worsens when coughing. The nurse's first course of action is to:

1. Reassure the client that the PCA system is working and will relieve pain.

2. Encourage the client to rest; no further assessment is needed.

3. Assess the pain systematically with the hospital-approved pain scale.

4. Encourage the client to ignore the pain and sleep because pain is expected after this type of surgery.