During a sterile dressing change for a partial-thickness burn on the hip, what should the nurse do first?

During a sterile dressing change for a partial-thickness burn on the hip, what should the nurse do first?

• A. Administer pain medication to the client
• B. Don sterile gloves
• C. Start wound cleaning
• D. Apply dressing

Answer: (A)

Pain management needs to come first because wound care for burns is highly painful, and relieving pain before any manipulation helps the client tolerate the procedure, stay calmer, and remain still. When pain is controlled, the nurse can perform sterile wound cleansing and dressing changes more effectively and with less distress, which also reduces the chance of movement that could contaminate the wound or worsen the pain. Partial-thickness burns expose nerve endings, making every touch or cleaning action more painful, so administering analgesia prior to starting the dressing change supports both comfort and procedural accuracy. After pain relief, the next steps are to use sterile technique for cleansing and dressing, but the first action is to address pain.

Pain management needs to come first because wound care for burns is highly painful, and relieving pain before any manipulation helps the client tolerate the procedure, stay calmer, and remain still. When pain is controlled, the nurse can perform sterile wound cleansing and dressing changes more effectively and with less distress, which also reduces the chance of movement that could contaminate the wound or worsen the pain. Partial-thickness burns expose nerve endings, making every touch or cleaning action more painful, so administering analgesia prior to starting the dressing change supports both comfort and procedural accuracy. After pain relief, the next steps are to use sterile technique for cleansing and dressing, but the first action is to address pain.