Describe a nursing intervention for pain management.

The selected answer is effective because assessing the pain level and administering prescribed pain relief medications is a comprehensive approach to pain management. This intervention involves two critical components: first, assessing the pain level allows the nurse to determine the intensity and nature of the patient’s discomfort, which is essential for tailoring the pain management approach appropriately. Pain can be subjective, so utilizing a standardized pain scale can help gauge the patient's experience more accurately.

Second, administering prescribed pain relief medications ensures that the patient receives appropriate pharmacological intervention based on their individual pain assessment. This combines both subjective and objective data to create a nuanced care plan. Furthermore, it underscores the nurse's role in not only managing the pain effectively through medications but also in monitoring the patient's response to these medications, which is essential for ongoing pain relief.

In contrast, solely documenting the patient's complaints does not actively address the pain nor facilitate relief. Relying exclusively on non-pharmacological methods can be beneficial but may not be adequate for all patients, particularly those with significant pain who require medication. Lastly, depending solely on patient self-reporting without further assessment would overlook the objective measures required to understand and address pain effectively. Hence, option B represents a balanced and thorough nursing intervention for pain management.