The nurse observes a patient lying rigidly in bed and taking shallow breaths.The patient reports a pain score of 4 out of 5 and says,"My leg hurts." The nurse determines that the objective and subjective data are
A) incongruent and require more assessment.
B) insufficient to make any conclusions.
C) congruent and support that the patient is in pain.
D) unclear; the nurse needs to talk to the patient's family for more information.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The patient's reported pain score and statement about their leg hurting is subjective data, and the observed rigidity and shallow breathing is objective data. Both of these data points support that the patient is in pain, making the objective and subjective data congruent. Further assessment may still be necessary to determine the cause and extent of the pain.

The Nurse Observes a Patient Lying Rigidly in Bed and Taking