The practical nurse (PN) is checking residual volume prior to the administration of a bolus feeding to a client with a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tube when the unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) reports that another client has requested pain medication for postoperative pain. Which action should the PN take?

A. Prioritizing the current procedure ensures patient safety, as measuring residual volume is necessary to prevent complications like aspiration. Having the UAP communicate a brief delay maintains timely pain management while keeping the ongoing procedure safe. B. Delegating the feeding to the UAP is inappropriate because measuring residual volume is a nursing responsibility requiring clinical judgment. Transferring this task could risk incorrect feeding and compromise client safety. C. Minimizing a client’s pain is unsafe and dismissive. Pain requires timely assessment and intervention, and instructing the UAP to ignore the request could violate standards of care and ethical practice. D. Residual volume measurement involves assessment and clinical judgment and cannot be delegated to the UAP. Allowing the UAP to perform it could result in inaccurate measurements or unsafe care.