Deck 11: Pain Assessment

Question 1

When assessing the intensity of a patient's pain, which question by the nurse is appropriate?

A) "What does your pain feel like?"
B) "How much pain do you have now?"
C) "How does pain limit your activities?"
D) "What makes your pain better or worse?"

Answer 1

"How much pain do you have now?"

Question 2

The nurse is evaluating a patient's pain. Which is an example of acute pain?

A) Fibromyalgia
B) Arthritic pain
C) Kidney stones
D) Lower back pain

Answer 2

Kidney stones

Question 3

When assessing the quality of a patient's pain, the nurse should ask which question?

A) "When did the pain start?"
B) "Is the pain a stabbing pain?"
C) "Is it a sharp pain or dull pain?"
D) "What does your pain feel like?"

Answer 3

"What does your pain feel like?"

Question 4

A patient has been admitted to the hospital with vertebral fractures r/t osteoporosis. She is in extreme pain. How should the nurse document this type of pain?

A) Referred
B) Cutaneous
C) Visceral
D) Deep somatic

Question 5

A patient is complaining of severe knee pain after twisting it during a basketball game and is requesting pain medication. Which action by the nurse is appropriate?

A) Completing the physical examination first and then giving the pain medication
B) Telling the patient that the pain medication must wait until after the x-ray images are completed
C) Evaluating the full range of motion of the knee and then medicating for pain
D) Administering pain medication and then proceeding with the assessment

Question 6

A patient states that the pain medication is "not working" and rates his postoperative pain at a 10 on a 1-to-10 scale. Which of these assessment findings indicates an acute pain response to poorly controlled pain?

A) Confusion
B) Depression
C) Hyperventilation
D) Increased blood pressure and pulse

Question 7

During assessment of a patient's pain, the nurse is aware that certain nonverbal behaviors are associated with chronic pain. Which of these behaviors are associated with chronic pain? (Select all that apply.)

A) Bracing
B) Rubbing
C) Moaning
D) Sleeping
E) Diaphoresis
F) Restlessness

Question 8

A 4-year-old boy is brought to the emergency department by his mother. She says he points to his stomach and says, "It hurts so bad." Which pain assessment tool would be the best choice when assessing this child's pain?

A) Descriptor scale
B) Numeric rating scale
C) Brief pain inventory
D) Faces Pain Scale-Revised (FPS-R)

Question 9

The nurse is assessing a patient's pain. What should the nurse know is the most reliable indicator of pain?

A) Subjective report
B) Physical examination
C) Patient's vital signs
D) Results of a computerized axial tomographic scan

Question 10

The nurse is reviewing the principles of nociception. During which phase of nociception does the conscious awareness of a painful sensation occur?

A) Perception
B) Modulation
C) Transduction
D) Transmission

Question 11

The nurse is teaching a class on pain at a local retirement community. Which statement about the pain experienced by older adults should the nurse include in the instructions?

A) "Older adults must learn to tolerate pain."
B) "Pain is a normal process of aging and is to be expected."
C) "Pain indicates a pathologic condition or an injury and is not a normal process of aging."
D) "Older individuals perceive pain to a lesser degree than do younger individuals."

Question 12

The nurse knows that which statement is true regarding the pain experienced by infants?

A) Infants feel pain less than adults do.
B) The FPS-R can be used to assess pain in infants.
C) A procedure that induces pain in adults will also induce pain in the infant.
D) Pain in infants can only be assessed by physiologic changes, such as an increased heart rate.

Question 13

A patient has had arthritic pain in her hips for several years since a hip fracture. She is able to move around in her room and has not offered any complaints so far this morning. However, when asked, she states that her pain is "bad this morning" and rates it at an 8 on a 1-to-10 scale. What is the likely reason for this?

A) The patient is addicted to her pain medications and cannot obtain pain relief.
B) The patient does not want to trouble the nursing staff with her complaints.
C) The patient is not in pain but rates it high to receive pain medication.
D) The patient has experienced chronic pain for years and has adapted to it.

Question 14

During an admission assessment of a patient with dementia, the nurse assesses for pain because the patient has recently had several falls. Which of these are appropriate for the nurse to assess in a patient with dementia? (Select all that apply.)

A) Ask the patient, "Do you have pain?"
B) Have the patient rate pain on a 1-to-10 scale.
C) Assess the patient's breathing independent of vocalization.
D) Note whether the patient is calling out, groaning, or crying.
E) Observe the patient's body language for pacing and agitation.

Question 15

The nurse is reviewing the principles of pain. Which type of pain is due to an abnormal processing of the pain impulse through the peripheral or central nervous system?

A) Visceral
B) Referred
C) Cutaneous
D) Neuropathic

Question 16

A 60-year-old woman has developed reflexive sympathetic dystrophy after arthroscopic repair of her shoulder. Which is a key feature of this condition?

A) Affected extremity will eventually regain its function.
B) Pain is felt at one site but originates from another location.
C) Patient's pain will be associated with nausea, pallor, and diaphoresis.
D) Slightest touch, such as a sleeve brushing against her arm, causes severe and intense pain.

Question 17

When assessing a patient's pain, the nurse records that the patient has visceral pain. Which condition would the patient have stated in order for the nurse document visceral pain?

A) A hip fracture
B) Cholecystitis
C) Second-degree burns
D) Pain after a leg amputation