A nurse is reinforcing teaching with the family of a client who is receiving palliative care for terminal cancer. Which of the following guidelines should the nurse emphasize about appropriate pain control measures?

A. Administer pain medication on a regular schedule: In palliative care, maintaining consistent pain control is essential for comfort and quality of life. Scheduled administration prevents the recurrence of severe pain, reduces stress on the client, and avoids peaks and troughs in analgesic effect, which is more effective than waiting for pain to become severe. B. Administer pain medication with caution to avoid addiction: In terminal cancer, the priority is comfort. Concerns about addiction are less relevant because the goal is effective pain management rather than long-term dependence. Opioid use in palliative care is aimed at symptom relief, not recreational use. C. Administer a placebo if it is not time for pain medication: Placebos are unethical and ineffective in palliative care. Using a placebo can damage trust between the family, client, and healthcare team and does not provide actual analgesic benefit. D. Administer scheduled doses of medication from a patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) pump: PCA pumps allow the client to self-administer doses and are not typically used for routine scheduled administration by family members. Family-administered dosing should follow prescribed schedules rather than PCA programming, which requires monitoring and education.