A patient tells the nurse that she has had abdominal pain for the past week. What would be the nurse's best response?

A) "Can you point to where it hurts?"
B) "What have you had to eat in the last 24 hours?"
C) "Have you ever had any surgeries on your abdomen?"
D) "We'll talk more about that later in the interview."

As a person talks, the nurse should not come to any conclusions but should collect all data first of a symptom. A final summary of any symptom the person has should include the specific location, so having the patient point to where the pain is located is appropriate. There are eight critical characteristics to be included in the summary of any symptom: "Location, Character or Quality, Quantity or Severity, Timing, Setting, Aggravating or Relieving Factors, Associated Factors, and Patient's Perception. Options B, C, and D do not collect the necessary data to make a summary of the symptom. A final summary of any symptom the person has should include eight critical characteristics: "Location, Character or Quality, Quantity or Severity, Timing, Setting, Aggravating or Relieving Factors, Associated Factors, and Patient's Perception."