Deck 10: Pain Assessment: The Fifth Vital Sign

Question 1

When evaluating a patient's pain,the nurse knows that an example of acute pain would be:

A) arthritic pain.
B) fibromyalgia.
C) kidney stones.
D) low back pain.

Answer 1

kidney stones.

Question 2

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

Answer 2

Assess the patient's breathing independent of vocalization.
Note whether the patient is calling out, groaning, or crying.
Observe the patient's body language for pacing and agitation.

Question 3

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

Answer 3

Perception

Question 4

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

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

Question 5

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 does the nurse suspect?

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

Question 6

During assessment of a patient's pain,the nurse keeps in mind that certain nonverbal behaviors are associated with chronic pain.Which of these behaviors are associated with chronic pain? Select all that apply.

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

Question 7

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) Hyperventilation
C) Increased blood pressure and pulse
D) Depression

Question 8

The nurse is assessing a patient's pain.The nurse knows that the most reliable indicator of pain would be the:

A) patient's vital signs.
B) physical examination.
C) results of a computerized axial tomography scan.
D) subjective report.

Question 9

When assessing a patient's pain,the nurse knows that an example of visceral pain would be:

A) hip fracture.
B) cholecystitis.
C) second-degree burns.
D) pain after a leg amputation.

Question 10

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) The Descriptor Scale
B) A numeric rating scale
C) The Brief Pain Inventory
D) The Faces Pain Scale-Revised (FPS-R)

Question 11

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) Complete the physical examination first and then give the pain medication.
B) Tell the patient that the pain medication must wait until after the x-rays are completed.
C) Evaluate full range of motion of the knee and then medicate for pain.
D) Administer pain medication and then proceed with the assessment.

Question 12

Which statement indicates that the nurse understands the pain experienced by an elderly person?

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

Question 13

The nurse is reviewing 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 14

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

A) Pain in infants can only be assessed by physiologic changes, such as increased heart rate.
B) The Faces Pain Scale-revised (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) Infants feel pain less than adults do.

Question 15

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

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

Question 16

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?"

Question 17

A patient has been admitted to the hospital with vertebral fractures related to osteoporosis.She is in extreme pain.This type of pain would be classified as:

A) referred.
B) cutaneous.
C) visceral.
D) deep somatic.