A nurse in along-term care facility is reinforcing teaching about pain control with a client who has terminal cancer. Which of the following information should the nurse include?

A. "A medication dose must be decreased if you develop tolerance.": Tolerance means the body becomes accustomed to the medication, often requiring higher—not lower—doses to achieve relief. Reducing the dose would worsen pain and diminish comfort, which is inappropriate in terminal cancer pain management. B. "Pain patches are applied each morning and removed at bedtime.": Transdermal pain patches, such as fentanyl, are designed to provide continuous analgesia over 48–72 hours. Removing them daily disrupts steady pain control and leads to breakthrough pain. C. "We will use intramuscular medications to control your pain.": IM injections are painful, have unpredictable absorption, and are avoided for chronic or end-of-life pain management. More comfortable and reliable routes—oral, transdermal, or IV—are preferred to maintain consistent relief. D. "Analgesia should be used around the clock to promote pain control.": Scheduled dosing maintains steady medication levels and prevents breakthrough pain, which is essential for terminal cancer clients. This approach supports comfort, reduces suffering, and aligns with best practices for palliative pain management.