A 16 French catheter with a 30 ml balloon was inserted in a patient for urinary retention, secondary to prostate cancer. The catheter is draining well, but the patient is experiencing bladder spasms. Which of the following should be the nurse's FIRST intervention?

Removing the catheter entirely may not be the best first step, as it could lead to further urinary retention and discomfort for the patient. The goal is to manage the spasms while maintaining urinary drainage, making removal an inappropriate first intervention.

Replacing the catheter with a larger 18 French size may not address the immediate issue of bladder spasms. In fact, a larger catheter could potentially irritate the bladder even more, exacerbating the spasms rather than providing relief.

While belladonna and opium suppositories can help with bladder spasms, initiating this treatment does not address the underlying cause of the spasms, which may be related to balloon size. It would be more effective to first modify the existing catheter setup before adding medication.