Deck 11: Pain Assessment

Question 1

When working with Indigenous children, the nurse recognizes that they: (Select all that apply.)

A)Express pain through their facial expressions.
B)Silently suffer through their pain.
C)Cry easily when in pain.
D)Are reluctant to express their pain vocally.
E)Are at increased risk for pain.

Answer 1

Silently suffer through their pain.
Are reluctant to express their pain vocally.
Are at increased risk for pain.

Question 2

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

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 2

"What does your pain feel like?"

Question 3

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

Answer 3

Deep somatic

Question 4

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 5

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 6

During an admission assessment of a patient with dementia and recent falls, the nurse will assesses for pain by: (Select all that apply.)

A)Asking the family to identify any patterns the patient demonstrates to express pain.
B)Examining the patient's facial expressions and behaviours for pain cues.
C)Asking the patient to describe the pain.
D)Having the patient rate pain on a 1-to-10 scale.
E)Assessing for sudden onset of acute confusion in the patient.

Question 7

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 8

During assessment, a 68-year-old patient informs the nurse about the analgesics she uses to manage her arthritis pain.What should the nurse caution the patient about?

A)Use of warm packs
B)Dislike of using ibuprofen
C)Occasional use of a multivitamin
D)Frequent combined use of acetaminophen and prescribed Tylenol 3

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

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

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

Question 11

A patient has had arthritic pain in her hips for several years since she suffered a hip fracture.She is walking around in her room with no sign of discomfort.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? The patient:

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

Question 12

To which patient will the nurse plan to provide teaching on managing acute pain?

A)Patient with arthritis
B)Patient with fibromyalgia
C)Patient with kidney stones
D)Patient with low back pain

Question 13

The nurse is assessing a 6-month-old infant.What does the nurse know to be true regarding the pain experienced by infants?

A)Pain in infants can only be assessed by physiological changes, such as an increased heart rate.
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)Infants feel pain less compared with adults.

Question 14

When 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 findings.
C)Results of a computed tomography (CT) scan.
D)Subjective report by the patient.

Question 15

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

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

Question 16

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 17

The nurse is teaching students about the older adult population and normal aging.Which statement by a nursing student indicates an understanding of older adults and pain?

A)"Older adults must learn to tolerate pain."
B)"Pain is a normal process of aging and is to be expected."
C)"Pain is not a normal process of aging and can indicate injury."
D)"Older adults perceive pain to a lesser degree compared with younger individuals."

Question 18

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