6020 Assessment Exam
QUESTIONS AND DETAILED
ANSWERS
1.
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) - correct answer ✔✔Feedback:
Rating scales can be introduced at the age of 4 or 5 years. The Faces Pain Scale—Revised (FPS-R)
is designed for use by children and asks the child to choose a face that shows "how much hurt
(or pain) you have now." Young children should not be asked to rate pain by using numbers.
Points Earned: 2.0/2.0
Correct Answer(s): D
2.
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. - correct answer
✔✔Feedback:
Persons with chronic pain typically try to give little indication that they are in pain and, over
time, adapt to the pain. As a result, they are at risk for underdetection.
Points Earned: 2.0/2.0
Correct Answer(s): D
3.
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. - correct answer ✔✔Feedback:
The subjective report is the most reliable indicator of pain. Physical examination findings can
lend support, but the clinician cannot base the diagnosis of pain exclusively on physical
assessment findings.
Points Earned: 0.0/2.0
Correct Answer(s): D
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 - correct answer ✔✔Feedback:
Neuropathic pain implies an abnormal processing of the pain message. The other types of pain
are named according to their sources.
, Points Earned: 2.0/2.0
Correct Answer(s): D
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. - correct answer ✔✔Feedback:
Visceral pain originates from the larger interior organs, such as the gallbladder, liver, or kidneys.
Points Earned: 2.0/2.0
Correct Answer(s): B
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?" - correct answer ✔✔Feedback:
Asking the patient "how much pain do you have?" is an assessment of the intensity of a
patient's pain; various intensity scales can be used. Asking what makes one's pain better or
worse assesses alleviating or aggravating factors. Asking if pain limits one's activities assesses
the degree of impairment and quality of life. Asking "what does your pain feel like" assesses the
quality of pain.
Points Earned: 0.0/2.0
Correct Answer(s): B
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.
QUESTIONS AND DETAILED
ANSWERS
1.
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) - correct answer ✔✔Feedback:
Rating scales can be introduced at the age of 4 or 5 years. The Faces Pain Scale—Revised (FPS-R)
is designed for use by children and asks the child to choose a face that shows "how much hurt
(or pain) you have now." Young children should not be asked to rate pain by using numbers.
Points Earned: 2.0/2.0
Correct Answer(s): D
2.
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. - correct answer
✔✔Feedback:
Persons with chronic pain typically try to give little indication that they are in pain and, over
time, adapt to the pain. As a result, they are at risk for underdetection.
Points Earned: 2.0/2.0
Correct Answer(s): D
3.
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. - correct answer ✔✔Feedback:
The subjective report is the most reliable indicator of pain. Physical examination findings can
lend support, but the clinician cannot base the diagnosis of pain exclusively on physical
assessment findings.
Points Earned: 0.0/2.0
Correct Answer(s): D
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 - correct answer ✔✔Feedback:
Neuropathic pain implies an abnormal processing of the pain message. The other types of pain
are named according to their sources.
, Points Earned: 2.0/2.0
Correct Answer(s): D
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. - correct answer ✔✔Feedback:
Visceral pain originates from the larger interior organs, such as the gallbladder, liver, or kidneys.
Points Earned: 2.0/2.0
Correct Answer(s): B
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?" - correct answer ✔✔Feedback:
Asking the patient "how much pain do you have?" is an assessment of the intensity of a
patient's pain; various intensity scales can be used. Asking what makes one's pain better or
worse assesses alleviating or aggravating factors. Asking if pain limits one's activities assesses
the degree of impairment and quality of life. Asking "what does your pain feel like" assesses the
quality of pain.
Points Earned: 0.0/2.0
Correct Answer(s): B
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.
