A 9-month-old infant is inconsolable and repeatedly tugs at the right ear. The infant also cries when lying down. What is the nurse's best action to determine the source of pain?

A. Gently assess the ear and check for redness, swelling, or drainage is correct. The infant’s symptoms, tugging at the ear, inconsolable crying, and increased pain when lying down, are classic signs of acute otitis media (ear infection). A careful, gentle assessment of the external ear and ear canal for redness, swelling, or drainage helps determine the source of pain and guides appropriate treatment. B. Administer pain medication without further assessment is incorrect because pain management should follow an assessment to identify the underlying cause. Treating pain without understanding the source may delay diagnosis and appropriate treatment, such as antibiotics if indicated. C. Assume the pain is generalized to the entire head is incorrect because infants often cannot verbalize pain location, but the pattern of ear tugging and positional crying provides important diagnostic clues. Making assumptions without assessment risks misdiagnosis. D. Ask the infant to point to where it hurts is incorrect because a 9-month-old cannot reliably indicate the location of pain, making observation and gentle physical assessment essential.