Which of the following patient goals is most appropriate when managing the patient dying of cancer? The patient will

A) Request pain medication when needed
B) Report or demonstrate satisfactory pain control
C) Use only nonpharmacological measures to control pain
D) Verbalize understanding that it may not be possible to control his pain

The most important goal is that the patient will report or demonstrate satisfactory pain control.The nurse should administer pain medication on a regular schedule to ensure satisfactory pain control; pain may not be controlled if medication is administered on an "as needed" basis.Nonpharmacologic measures can be a helpful adjunct in controlling pain,but they are not likely to be adequate for pain associated with cancer.Effective pain-control medications are available and can be administered by several routes; it should be possible to control the pain.