When possible, the patient should wait until the IV pain medication has taken effect (up to 15 minutes) to move, which will make the movement more effective. The patient should be instructed to continue normal breathing while moving, not taking a deep breath and blowing out forcefully (this can place additional strain on the incision). The patient is likely to feel pain while moving; the nurse should instruct the patient to stop moving if there is moderate-to-severe pain (not just any pain at all). In order to splint the incision, the patient is instructed to press down gently (not firmly) above and below the incision.