NURSING 202 FINAL EXAM | COMPREHENSIVE STUDY GUIDE, NCLEX-
STYLE PRACTICE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 2026/2027
1. A client experiencing pain from an amputated limb tells the nurse that the pain is constant
and the pain medication is not effective. What would be appropriate for the nurse to say or do
in this situation?
a. Remind the client that the limb is gone and can't be causing pain.
b. Call the healthcare provider to report the ongoing pain.
c. Do nothing. In time the pain will diminish on its own. d. Help the client to a sitting position
and offer magazines. - correct answer ✔✔Call the healthcare provider to report the ongoing
pain. Pain is whatever the person says it is—existing whenever the person says it does. It is
highly subjective and cannot be shared with others. The best course of action would be for the
nurse to contact the healthcare provider to report the client's ongoing pain. The other options
would not be supportive of the client and the pain experience.
During a healthcare visit, the nurse learns that a client has had some degree of pain for years
yet has never sought medical intervention for the pain. The nurse realizes that one explanation
for this might be:
a. The client is practicing pain-reducing interventions.
b. The client has a history of substance abuse.
c. The client doesn't really have pain.
d. The client has become accustomed to having pain. - correct answer ✔✔The client has
become accustomed to having pain. Previous experiences with pain affect the way an individual
responds to pain. This client's history of having pain for years may explain why he/she is able to
live with the pain. There is no provided history of pain-reducing interventions or substance
abuse. Assuming the client doesn't have pain is a judgment on the nurse's part and a
nontherapeutic assessment.
A client comes into the clinic complaining of severe lower back pain that began after a round of
golf a few days ago. The nurse realizes that this client is experiencing:
a. pain during the transduction phase of the pain process
,b. pain during the transmission phase of the pain process
c. pain during the perception phase of the pain process d. pain during the modulation phase of
the pain process - correct answer ✔✔pain during the transduction phase of the pain process
The receptors that transmit pain sensation are called nociceptors. During the transduction
phase, noxious stimuli, such as a muscle spasm, trigger a release of biochemical mediators that
sensitize nociceptors. The transmission phase of pain involves transmitting the pain response
from the peripheral nerve to the thalamus and sensory cortex. The perception phase is when
the client becomes aware of the pain. The modulation phase occurs when substances such as
endogenous opioids, serotonin, and norepinephrine are released, which can inhibit painful
stimuli.
A client with chronic back pain has been prescribed a tricyclic antidepressant medication. The
nurse realizes that this medication will:
a. do nothing for the client's pain
b. cause the client to sleep through most of the pain
c. act as a placebo for the client's pain
d. increase the modulation phase of the pain cycle - correct answer ✔✔increase the modulation
phase of the pain cycle Individuals with chronic pain may be prescribed tricyclic antidepressants
to inhibit the reuptake of norepinephrine and serotonin. This action increases the modulation
phase that helps inhibit painful ascending stimuli. A medication would not be prescribed if it
were not thought to be effective. When treating pain, the primary effect of the medication is
not sleep.
multiple times over the past 12 months for acute back pain after a motor vehicle accident. From
this information, the nurse suspects:
a. the client's back and leg pain has resolved
b. the client is in severe, acute pain
c. the client may be experiencing chronic pain
d. nothing. There isn't anything new with this client. - correct answer ✔✔the client might be
experiencing chronic pain In chronic pain, the vital signs are normal and the skin is warm and
dry; the client may appear depressed and withdrawn, does not mention the pain unless asked,
and does not demonstrate pain behavior. Pain is a subjective phenomenon, and the nurse must
,ask if the client is experiencing pain, not assume that the pain is gone. The client is not
exhibiting signs of severe, acute pain.
A client is 2 weeks postoperative appendectomy and is still experiencing pain. The nurse realizes
this client is most likely experiencing:
a. deep somatic pain
b. referred pain
c. intractable pain
d. visceral pain - correct answer ✔✔visceral pain Visceral pain results from the stimulation of
pain receptors in the abdominal cavity. It is frequently caused by stretching of the tissues,
ischemia, or muscle spasms. Deep somatic pain arises from ligaments, tendons, bones, blood
vessels, and nerves. Referred pain is perceived at the source of the pain and extends to nearby
tissues. Intractable pain is resistant to relief and perhaps caused by advanced malignancy.
After a hip replacement, a client is unable to tolerate any touching or clothing over the incision
site. The nurse realizes that this client is exhibiting:
a. hyperalgesia
b. pain reaction
c. pain tolerance
d. pain threshold - correct answer ✔✔hyperalgesia sensitivity to pain. The amount of pain
stimulation a person requires to feel pain is called the pain threshold, or pain reaction. Pain
tolerance is the maximum amount and duration of pain that an individual is willing to endure.
A client complaining of pain is seen by the nurse. This client smiles and hesitates to respond
when asked about the degree of pain. The nurse realizes this client is demonstrating the pain
behavior consistent with:
a. a toddler
b. a school-age child
c. an adolescent
, d. an older adult - correct answer ✔✔an adolescent Typical adolescent pain behavior includes
being slow to acknowledge pain, thinking pain may be considered a weakness and not reporting
pain so as to appear brave in front of peers. A toddler often responds with crying and anger
because a toddler perceives the pain as a threat to security. A school-age child tries to be brave
when facing pain. The older adult may withhold complaints of pain because of fear of the
treatment or lifestyle changes that may be involved.
A client asks the nurse for pain medication. The nurse is slow to respond and doesn't provide
the medication for over an hour. This nurse is demonstrating:
a. compassion to the client in pain
b. anger toward the patient in pain
c. poor time management skills
d. denial that the patient is truly in pain - correct answer ✔✔denial that the patient is truly in
pain Nurses have their own attitudes and expectations about pain and may place a higher value
on silent suffering or self-control in response to pain. Nurses may deny or downplay the pain
they observe in others. The nurse is not demonstrating compassion or anger. There is no
information
in the question that addresses the nurse's time management skills. However, if the nurse is
unable to administer the pain medication in a timely manner due to the acuity of the patient
assignment, the nurse should ask a colleague for assistance.
A client in the pain clinic appears fatigued. The nurse learns the client has not been sleeping
well. This finding will most likely have which effect on the client's pain?
a. Increased pain
b. Decreased pain
c. Decreased pain perception
d. No effect - correct answer ✔✔Increased pain When pain interferes with sleep, fatigue and
muscle tension often result and increase the pain. Fatigue also reduces a person's ability to
cope, thereby increasing pain perception. The combination of fatigue and pain doesn't result in
decreased pain or pain perception.
STYLE PRACTICE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 2026/2027
1. A client experiencing pain from an amputated limb tells the nurse that the pain is constant
and the pain medication is not effective. What would be appropriate for the nurse to say or do
in this situation?
a. Remind the client that the limb is gone and can't be causing pain.
b. Call the healthcare provider to report the ongoing pain.
c. Do nothing. In time the pain will diminish on its own. d. Help the client to a sitting position
and offer magazines. - correct answer ✔✔Call the healthcare provider to report the ongoing
pain. Pain is whatever the person says it is—existing whenever the person says it does. It is
highly subjective and cannot be shared with others. The best course of action would be for the
nurse to contact the healthcare provider to report the client's ongoing pain. The other options
would not be supportive of the client and the pain experience.
During a healthcare visit, the nurse learns that a client has had some degree of pain for years
yet has never sought medical intervention for the pain. The nurse realizes that one explanation
for this might be:
a. The client is practicing pain-reducing interventions.
b. The client has a history of substance abuse.
c. The client doesn't really have pain.
d. The client has become accustomed to having pain. - correct answer ✔✔The client has
become accustomed to having pain. Previous experiences with pain affect the way an individual
responds to pain. This client's history of having pain for years may explain why he/she is able to
live with the pain. There is no provided history of pain-reducing interventions or substance
abuse. Assuming the client doesn't have pain is a judgment on the nurse's part and a
nontherapeutic assessment.
A client comes into the clinic complaining of severe lower back pain that began after a round of
golf a few days ago. The nurse realizes that this client is experiencing:
a. pain during the transduction phase of the pain process
,b. pain during the transmission phase of the pain process
c. pain during the perception phase of the pain process d. pain during the modulation phase of
the pain process - correct answer ✔✔pain during the transduction phase of the pain process
The receptors that transmit pain sensation are called nociceptors. During the transduction
phase, noxious stimuli, such as a muscle spasm, trigger a release of biochemical mediators that
sensitize nociceptors. The transmission phase of pain involves transmitting the pain response
from the peripheral nerve to the thalamus and sensory cortex. The perception phase is when
the client becomes aware of the pain. The modulation phase occurs when substances such as
endogenous opioids, serotonin, and norepinephrine are released, which can inhibit painful
stimuli.
A client with chronic back pain has been prescribed a tricyclic antidepressant medication. The
nurse realizes that this medication will:
a. do nothing for the client's pain
b. cause the client to sleep through most of the pain
c. act as a placebo for the client's pain
d. increase the modulation phase of the pain cycle - correct answer ✔✔increase the modulation
phase of the pain cycle Individuals with chronic pain may be prescribed tricyclic antidepressants
to inhibit the reuptake of norepinephrine and serotonin. This action increases the modulation
phase that helps inhibit painful ascending stimuli. A medication would not be prescribed if it
were not thought to be effective. When treating pain, the primary effect of the medication is
not sleep.
multiple times over the past 12 months for acute back pain after a motor vehicle accident. From
this information, the nurse suspects:
a. the client's back and leg pain has resolved
b. the client is in severe, acute pain
c. the client may be experiencing chronic pain
d. nothing. There isn't anything new with this client. - correct answer ✔✔the client might be
experiencing chronic pain In chronic pain, the vital signs are normal and the skin is warm and
dry; the client may appear depressed and withdrawn, does not mention the pain unless asked,
and does not demonstrate pain behavior. Pain is a subjective phenomenon, and the nurse must
,ask if the client is experiencing pain, not assume that the pain is gone. The client is not
exhibiting signs of severe, acute pain.
A client is 2 weeks postoperative appendectomy and is still experiencing pain. The nurse realizes
this client is most likely experiencing:
a. deep somatic pain
b. referred pain
c. intractable pain
d. visceral pain - correct answer ✔✔visceral pain Visceral pain results from the stimulation of
pain receptors in the abdominal cavity. It is frequently caused by stretching of the tissues,
ischemia, or muscle spasms. Deep somatic pain arises from ligaments, tendons, bones, blood
vessels, and nerves. Referred pain is perceived at the source of the pain and extends to nearby
tissues. Intractable pain is resistant to relief and perhaps caused by advanced malignancy.
After a hip replacement, a client is unable to tolerate any touching or clothing over the incision
site. The nurse realizes that this client is exhibiting:
a. hyperalgesia
b. pain reaction
c. pain tolerance
d. pain threshold - correct answer ✔✔hyperalgesia sensitivity to pain. The amount of pain
stimulation a person requires to feel pain is called the pain threshold, or pain reaction. Pain
tolerance is the maximum amount and duration of pain that an individual is willing to endure.
A client complaining of pain is seen by the nurse. This client smiles and hesitates to respond
when asked about the degree of pain. The nurse realizes this client is demonstrating the pain
behavior consistent with:
a. a toddler
b. a school-age child
c. an adolescent
, d. an older adult - correct answer ✔✔an adolescent Typical adolescent pain behavior includes
being slow to acknowledge pain, thinking pain may be considered a weakness and not reporting
pain so as to appear brave in front of peers. A toddler often responds with crying and anger
because a toddler perceives the pain as a threat to security. A school-age child tries to be brave
when facing pain. The older adult may withhold complaints of pain because of fear of the
treatment or lifestyle changes that may be involved.
A client asks the nurse for pain medication. The nurse is slow to respond and doesn't provide
the medication for over an hour. This nurse is demonstrating:
a. compassion to the client in pain
b. anger toward the patient in pain
c. poor time management skills
d. denial that the patient is truly in pain - correct answer ✔✔denial that the patient is truly in
pain Nurses have their own attitudes and expectations about pain and may place a higher value
on silent suffering or self-control in response to pain. Nurses may deny or downplay the pain
they observe in others. The nurse is not demonstrating compassion or anger. There is no
information
in the question that addresses the nurse's time management skills. However, if the nurse is
unable to administer the pain medication in a timely manner due to the acuity of the patient
assignment, the nurse should ask a colleague for assistance.
A client in the pain clinic appears fatigued. The nurse learns the client has not been sleeping
well. This finding will most likely have which effect on the client's pain?
a. Increased pain
b. Decreased pain
c. Decreased pain perception
d. No effect - correct answer ✔✔Increased pain When pain interferes with sleep, fatigue and
muscle tension often result and increase the pain. Fatigue also reduces a person's ability to
cope, thereby increasing pain perception. The combination of fatigue and pain doesn't result in
decreased pain or pain perception.
