NSG 3130 Exam 3 Review Questions & ANSWERs
Comprehensive Practice Exam — 100+ Questions
with Rationales 2026
SECTION 1: Pain Management (Questions 1-15)
1. Which of the following nursing interventions for a patient in pain is based on the gate control theory?
A. Changing the patient's position in bed
B. Giving the patient a back massage
C. Giving the patient a pain medication
D. Limiting the number of visitors
ANSWER: B
Rationale: The gate control theory suggests that non-painful stimuli can "close the gate" to painful
signals. A back massage stimulates large-diameter nerve fibers (touch receptors), which can inhibit pain
transmission. This non-pharmacological intervention works by competing with pain signals at the spinal
cord level.
2. The patient tells the nurse about a burning sensation in the epigastric area. The nurse should describe
this type of pain as:
A. Referred
,B. Radiating
C. Visceral
D. Superficial
ANSWER: C
Rationale: Visceral pain originates from internal organs such as the stomach, intestines, or gallbladder. It
is often described as burning, aching, or cramping and is poorly localized. The epigastric area contains
stomach and duodenal structures, making this visceral pain.
3. When assessing the intensity of a patient's pain, the nurse should:
A. Ask about what precipitates the pain
B. Question the patient about the location of the pain
C. Offer the patient a pain scale to validate the information
D. Use open-ended questions to find out about the sensation
ANSWER: C
Rationale: Pain is subjective, and the patient is the best authority on their pain experience. Using a
standardized pain scale (0-10, Wong-Baker FACES, etc.) allows for objective documentation and tracking
of pain intensity over time. Pain scales help validate the patient's self-report.
4. Which statement about the pain experience is correct?
,A. Chronic pain is mostly psychological in nature
B. Regular use of analgesics leads to drug addiction
C. The patient is the best authority on the pain experience
D. The amount of tissue damage is accurately reflected in the degree of pain perceived
ANSWER: C
Rationale: Pain is always subjective, and the patient's self-report is the most reliable indicator of pain.
There is no direct correlation between tissue damage and pain perception. Addiction is not a significant
risk when analgesics are used appropriately for pain management.
5. A nonpharmacological approach that creates a calm state with controlled breathing and relaxation is:
A. Acupressure
B. Meditation
C. Biofeedback
D. Hypnosis
ANSWER: B
Rationale: Meditation focuses on creating a calm mental state through controlled breathing, relaxation,
and mindfulness. It reduces stress and can help manage pain by decreasing muscle tension and
promoting relaxation.
, 6. For a patient experiencing continuous, severe pain, the nurse should expect treatment to include:
A. Focusing on intramuscular administration of analgesics
B. Waiting for pain to become more intense before administering opioids
C. Administering opioid with nonopioid analgesics for severe pain experiences
D. Administering large doses of opioids initially to patients who have not taken the medications before
ANSWER: C
Rationale: Multimodal analgesia—using different classes of analgesics together—provides better pain
relief with lower doses of each medication, reducing side effects. Combining opioids with nonopioids
(e.g., acetaminophen, NSAIDs) is standard practice for severe pain.
7. Upon entering the room, the nurse discovers that the patient is experiencing acute pain. An expected
assessment finding is:
A. Bradycardia
B. Diaphoresis
C. Bradypnea
D. Decreased muscle tension
ANSWER: B
Comprehensive Practice Exam — 100+ Questions
with Rationales 2026
SECTION 1: Pain Management (Questions 1-15)
1. Which of the following nursing interventions for a patient in pain is based on the gate control theory?
A. Changing the patient's position in bed
B. Giving the patient a back massage
C. Giving the patient a pain medication
D. Limiting the number of visitors
ANSWER: B
Rationale: The gate control theory suggests that non-painful stimuli can "close the gate" to painful
signals. A back massage stimulates large-diameter nerve fibers (touch receptors), which can inhibit pain
transmission. This non-pharmacological intervention works by competing with pain signals at the spinal
cord level.
2. The patient tells the nurse about a burning sensation in the epigastric area. The nurse should describe
this type of pain as:
A. Referred
,B. Radiating
C. Visceral
D. Superficial
ANSWER: C
Rationale: Visceral pain originates from internal organs such as the stomach, intestines, or gallbladder. It
is often described as burning, aching, or cramping and is poorly localized. The epigastric area contains
stomach and duodenal structures, making this visceral pain.
3. When assessing the intensity of a patient's pain, the nurse should:
A. Ask about what precipitates the pain
B. Question the patient about the location of the pain
C. Offer the patient a pain scale to validate the information
D. Use open-ended questions to find out about the sensation
ANSWER: C
Rationale: Pain is subjective, and the patient is the best authority on their pain experience. Using a
standardized pain scale (0-10, Wong-Baker FACES, etc.) allows for objective documentation and tracking
of pain intensity over time. Pain scales help validate the patient's self-report.
4. Which statement about the pain experience is correct?
,A. Chronic pain is mostly psychological in nature
B. Regular use of analgesics leads to drug addiction
C. The patient is the best authority on the pain experience
D. The amount of tissue damage is accurately reflected in the degree of pain perceived
ANSWER: C
Rationale: Pain is always subjective, and the patient's self-report is the most reliable indicator of pain.
There is no direct correlation between tissue damage and pain perception. Addiction is not a significant
risk when analgesics are used appropriately for pain management.
5. A nonpharmacological approach that creates a calm state with controlled breathing and relaxation is:
A. Acupressure
B. Meditation
C. Biofeedback
D. Hypnosis
ANSWER: B
Rationale: Meditation focuses on creating a calm mental state through controlled breathing, relaxation,
and mindfulness. It reduces stress and can help manage pain by decreasing muscle tension and
promoting relaxation.
, 6. For a patient experiencing continuous, severe pain, the nurse should expect treatment to include:
A. Focusing on intramuscular administration of analgesics
B. Waiting for pain to become more intense before administering opioids
C. Administering opioid with nonopioid analgesics for severe pain experiences
D. Administering large doses of opioids initially to patients who have not taken the medications before
ANSWER: C
Rationale: Multimodal analgesia—using different classes of analgesics together—provides better pain
relief with lower doses of each medication, reducing side effects. Combining opioids with nonopioids
(e.g., acetaminophen, NSAIDs) is standard practice for severe pain.
7. Upon entering the room, the nurse discovers that the patient is experiencing acute pain. An expected
assessment finding is:
A. Bradycardia
B. Diaphoresis
C. Bradypnea
D. Decreased muscle tension
ANSWER: B
