NU 126-EXAM 1 STUDY QUESTIONS with verified
answers
A 2-year-old child has been returned to the nursing unit after an
inguinal hernia repair. Which pain assessment tool should the nurse use
to assess this child for the presence of pain?
a. FACES pain rating tool
b. Numeric scale
c. Oucher scale
d. FLACC tool Ans✓✓✓ d. FLACC tool
A behavioral pain tool should be used when the child is preverbal or
doesn't have the language skills to express pain. The FLACC (face, legs,
activity, cry, consolability) tool should be used with a 2-year-old child.
The FACES, numeric, and Oucher scales are all self-report pain rating
tools. Self-report measures are not sufficiently valid for children
younger than 3 years of age because many are not able to accurately
self-report their pain
A 64-year-old patient just returned from surgery. She is breathing
rapidly and moving constantly in bed. She states, "I am scared and I
hurt so much." What would be an appropriate intervention? Select all
that apply.
,a) Immediately notify the surgeon of these data (physical symptoms
and patient's statement).
b) State calmly, "I am going to do everything I can to make you more
comfortable."
c) Tell the patient you would like to help her calm down and take some
deep breaths.
d) Ask the nursing assistive personnel to stay with the patient while you
get an analgesic for her.
e) Turn on the television to distract her from the pain and anxiety.
Ans✓✓✓ b) State calmly, "I am going to do everything I can to make
you more comfortable."
c) Tell the patient you would like to help her calm down and take some
deep breaths.
d) Ask the nursing assistive personnel to stay with the patient while you
get an analgesic for her.
Relaxation exercises, deep breathing, and other nonpharmacological
measures can also help to take the edge off the patient's pain
experience and help the patient to feel more in control; therefore, you
should provide comfort measures to the patient. The goal would be to
calm her so you can perform a thorough assessment. Calming anxiety
also helps to relieve pain. Analgesics help reduce pain, which will also
lessen the anxiety that can aggravate a pain experience. You would not
call the surgeon before the assessment, but rather after you have
determined that her condition requires medical evaluation. Although
turning on the television might be helpful by providing distraction, for
others the noise might overstimulate and further increase the pain. It
,would be better to manage the pain with therapeutic measures, instead
of turning on the television while the patient is still in pain.
A 70-year-old male with diabetic peripheral neuropathy reports a
burning sensation in his feet. He also states, "Those pain pills make me
feel funny and they don't help my pain, so I don't take them." Which of
the following is likely to be most beneficial for treating this patient's
neuropathic pain?
a) Opioid analgesic (morphine)
b) NSAID (ibuprofen)
c) Antiepileptic drug (gabapentin)
d) Narcotic analgesic with acetaminophen (hydrocodone) Ans✓✓✓ c)
Antiepileptic drug (gabapentin)
Gabapentin is an antiepileptic (also known as an anticonvulsant) that is
also used in adults to treat neuropathic pain. Opioids (e.g., morphine,
hydrocodone) are most effective for certain types of pain. For instance,
visceral pain, which is more generalized, is most responsive to opioid
treatment, whereas neuropathic pain is resistant to opioids.
Acetaminophen alone is likely not strong enough to relieve neuropathic
pain.
A 73-year-old patient admitted after a stroke has expressive aphasia.
Which pain intensity scales would be appropriate to use with this
patient? Select all that apply.
, a) Visual analogue
b) Numerical rating
c) Wong-Baker face rating
d) Simple descriptor
e) PAINAD scale Ans✓✓✓ a) Visual analogue
b) Numerical rating
c) Wong-Baker face rating
The visual analogue requires patients to point to a location on a line
that reflects their pain level. Some patients have difficulty with the
abstract nature of this scale. The Wong-Baker face rating scale uses
simple illustrations of faces to depict various levels of pain. The scale
was developed for children but has proved effective for adults with
communication and cognitive impairments. When using the numerical
rating scale, the patient must choose a number from 0 to 10 to denote
his pain level. This scale is sometimes difficult for clients with cognitive
impairments, such as expressive aphasia; however, it would be
appropriate to try it if the face-rating scale is not available. Patients
commonly find the simple descriptor scale difficult to understand. This
scale uses a list of adjectives that describe pain intensity. The Pain
Assessment in Advanced Dementia (PAINAD) scale is a five-item,
observational tool, specifically geared to older adults with dementia.
answers
A 2-year-old child has been returned to the nursing unit after an
inguinal hernia repair. Which pain assessment tool should the nurse use
to assess this child for the presence of pain?
a. FACES pain rating tool
b. Numeric scale
c. Oucher scale
d. FLACC tool Ans✓✓✓ d. FLACC tool
A behavioral pain tool should be used when the child is preverbal or
doesn't have the language skills to express pain. The FLACC (face, legs,
activity, cry, consolability) tool should be used with a 2-year-old child.
The FACES, numeric, and Oucher scales are all self-report pain rating
tools. Self-report measures are not sufficiently valid for children
younger than 3 years of age because many are not able to accurately
self-report their pain
A 64-year-old patient just returned from surgery. She is breathing
rapidly and moving constantly in bed. She states, "I am scared and I
hurt so much." What would be an appropriate intervention? Select all
that apply.
,a) Immediately notify the surgeon of these data (physical symptoms
and patient's statement).
b) State calmly, "I am going to do everything I can to make you more
comfortable."
c) Tell the patient you would like to help her calm down and take some
deep breaths.
d) Ask the nursing assistive personnel to stay with the patient while you
get an analgesic for her.
e) Turn on the television to distract her from the pain and anxiety.
Ans✓✓✓ b) State calmly, "I am going to do everything I can to make
you more comfortable."
c) Tell the patient you would like to help her calm down and take some
deep breaths.
d) Ask the nursing assistive personnel to stay with the patient while you
get an analgesic for her.
Relaxation exercises, deep breathing, and other nonpharmacological
measures can also help to take the edge off the patient's pain
experience and help the patient to feel more in control; therefore, you
should provide comfort measures to the patient. The goal would be to
calm her so you can perform a thorough assessment. Calming anxiety
also helps to relieve pain. Analgesics help reduce pain, which will also
lessen the anxiety that can aggravate a pain experience. You would not
call the surgeon before the assessment, but rather after you have
determined that her condition requires medical evaluation. Although
turning on the television might be helpful by providing distraction, for
others the noise might overstimulate and further increase the pain. It
,would be better to manage the pain with therapeutic measures, instead
of turning on the television while the patient is still in pain.
A 70-year-old male with diabetic peripheral neuropathy reports a
burning sensation in his feet. He also states, "Those pain pills make me
feel funny and they don't help my pain, so I don't take them." Which of
the following is likely to be most beneficial for treating this patient's
neuropathic pain?
a) Opioid analgesic (morphine)
b) NSAID (ibuprofen)
c) Antiepileptic drug (gabapentin)
d) Narcotic analgesic with acetaminophen (hydrocodone) Ans✓✓✓ c)
Antiepileptic drug (gabapentin)
Gabapentin is an antiepileptic (also known as an anticonvulsant) that is
also used in adults to treat neuropathic pain. Opioids (e.g., morphine,
hydrocodone) are most effective for certain types of pain. For instance,
visceral pain, which is more generalized, is most responsive to opioid
treatment, whereas neuropathic pain is resistant to opioids.
Acetaminophen alone is likely not strong enough to relieve neuropathic
pain.
A 73-year-old patient admitted after a stroke has expressive aphasia.
Which pain intensity scales would be appropriate to use with this
patient? Select all that apply.
, a) Visual analogue
b) Numerical rating
c) Wong-Baker face rating
d) Simple descriptor
e) PAINAD scale Ans✓✓✓ a) Visual analogue
b) Numerical rating
c) Wong-Baker face rating
The visual analogue requires patients to point to a location on a line
that reflects their pain level. Some patients have difficulty with the
abstract nature of this scale. The Wong-Baker face rating scale uses
simple illustrations of faces to depict various levels of pain. The scale
was developed for children but has proved effective for adults with
communication and cognitive impairments. When using the numerical
rating scale, the patient must choose a number from 0 to 10 to denote
his pain level. This scale is sometimes difficult for clients with cognitive
impairments, such as expressive aphasia; however, it would be
appropriate to try it if the face-rating scale is not available. Patients
commonly find the simple descriptor scale difficult to understand. This
scale uses a list of adjectives that describe pain intensity. The Pain
Assessment in Advanced Dementia (PAINAD) scale is a five-item,
observational tool, specifically geared to older adults with dementia.
