NUR 355 Exam 2 Questions and Answers
2025/2026 | Practice Questions with
Rationales | Updated Study Guide
Modules 3–4: Pain, Inflammation, Immunity & Infection
Questions 1–25: Pain Assessment and Management
1. Which statement best describes pain?
A. An objective measurement of tissue damage
B. An unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential
tissue damage
C. A response that is identical among all patients
D. A purely psychological response
Answer: B
Pain is both sensory and emotional and is subjective. The nurse should accept the patient's
report as the most reliable indicator of pain.
2. Which assessment is most important when initially evaluating a patient's pain?
,A. The nurse's opinion of the patient's pain
B. The patient's self-report
C. The patient's blood pressure only
D. The diagnosis on the medical record
Answer: B
Pain is subjective, so the patient's self-report is the primary assessment whenever the
patient can communicate reliably.
3. A patient reports pain of 8/10. The nurse should first:
A. Tell the patient that 8/10 is excessive
B. Assess the pain characteristics and associated findings
C. Wait until the next scheduled medication
D. Assume the patient is exaggerating
Answer: B
A high pain score requires assessment of location, quality, onset, duration, aggravating
factors and associated symptoms before appropriate intervention.
4. Which finding is most characteristic of acute pain?
A. It persists for years without an identifiable cause
B. It usually has a relatively identifiable cause and protective function
,C. It never produces autonomic responses
D. It always indicates psychological illness
Answer: B
Acute pain commonly occurs with injury or illness and can serve as a warning or protective
response.
5. Chronic pain is generally characterized by pain that:
A. Always disappears within 24 hours
B. Persists beyond expected healing or lasts for an extended period
C. Is always caused by cancer
D. Has no effect on quality of life
Answer: B
Chronic pain can continue beyond expected tissue healing and may significantly affect
physical, emotional and social functioning.
**6. Which patient statement indicates neuropathic pain?
A. “It feels like pressure on my chest.”
B. “It burns and feels like electric shocks.”
C. “My incision is tender when touched.”
D. “My ankle aches after I twisted it.”
, Answer: B
Burning, shooting, electric or tingling sensations are characteristic descriptions of
neuropathic pain.
**7. Which scale is most appropriate for an alert adult who can communicate verbally?
A. Numeric rating scale
B. Apgar scale
C. Glasgow Coma Scale
D. Braden Scale
Answer: A
The numeric rating scale allows a communicative adult to rate pain, commonly from 0 to 10.
**8. Which pain assessment method is most appropriate for a patient who cannot
communicate verbally?
A. Ask the patient to select a number
B. Use an appropriate behavioral pain assessment tool
C. Assume the patient has no pain
D. Assess only heart rate
Answer: B
2025/2026 | Practice Questions with
Rationales | Updated Study Guide
Modules 3–4: Pain, Inflammation, Immunity & Infection
Questions 1–25: Pain Assessment and Management
1. Which statement best describes pain?
A. An objective measurement of tissue damage
B. An unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential
tissue damage
C. A response that is identical among all patients
D. A purely psychological response
Answer: B
Pain is both sensory and emotional and is subjective. The nurse should accept the patient's
report as the most reliable indicator of pain.
2. Which assessment is most important when initially evaluating a patient's pain?
,A. The nurse's opinion of the patient's pain
B. The patient's self-report
C. The patient's blood pressure only
D. The diagnosis on the medical record
Answer: B
Pain is subjective, so the patient's self-report is the primary assessment whenever the
patient can communicate reliably.
3. A patient reports pain of 8/10. The nurse should first:
A. Tell the patient that 8/10 is excessive
B. Assess the pain characteristics and associated findings
C. Wait until the next scheduled medication
D. Assume the patient is exaggerating
Answer: B
A high pain score requires assessment of location, quality, onset, duration, aggravating
factors and associated symptoms before appropriate intervention.
4. Which finding is most characteristic of acute pain?
A. It persists for years without an identifiable cause
B. It usually has a relatively identifiable cause and protective function
,C. It never produces autonomic responses
D. It always indicates psychological illness
Answer: B
Acute pain commonly occurs with injury or illness and can serve as a warning or protective
response.
5. Chronic pain is generally characterized by pain that:
A. Always disappears within 24 hours
B. Persists beyond expected healing or lasts for an extended period
C. Is always caused by cancer
D. Has no effect on quality of life
Answer: B
Chronic pain can continue beyond expected tissue healing and may significantly affect
physical, emotional and social functioning.
**6. Which patient statement indicates neuropathic pain?
A. “It feels like pressure on my chest.”
B. “It burns and feels like electric shocks.”
C. “My incision is tender when touched.”
D. “My ankle aches after I twisted it.”
, Answer: B
Burning, shooting, electric or tingling sensations are characteristic descriptions of
neuropathic pain.
**7. Which scale is most appropriate for an alert adult who can communicate verbally?
A. Numeric rating scale
B. Apgar scale
C. Glasgow Coma Scale
D. Braden Scale
Answer: A
The numeric rating scale allows a communicative adult to rate pain, commonly from 0 to 10.
**8. Which pain assessment method is most appropriate for a patient who cannot
communicate verbally?
A. Ask the patient to select a number
B. Use an appropriate behavioral pain assessment tool
C. Assume the patient has no pain
D. Assess only heart rate
Answer: B
