SPECIALISTS EXAM
HESI RN COMPREHENSIVE PREDICTOR [LATEST
UPDATED VERSION]
1An oriented patient has recently had surgery. Whichaction is best for the nurseto
take to assess this
patient’s pain?
a. Assess the patient’s body language.
b. Ask the patient to rate the level of pain.
c. Observe the cardiac monitor for increased heart rate.
d. Have the patient describe the effect of pain on the abilityto cope.
ANS: B
One of the most subjective and therefore most usefulcharacteristics for reporting
pain is its severity.
Therefore, the best way to assess a patient’s painis to ask the patient to rate the pain.
Nonverbal communication, such as body language, is not as effective in assessing pain,
especially when the patientis oriented. Heart rate sometimes increases when a patient
is in pain, but this is not a symptom that is
specific to pain. Pain sometimes affects a patient’s ability to cope, but assessing the effect
of pain on copingassesses the patient’sability to cope; it does not assess the patient’s
pain.
SPECIALISTS EXAM
, SPECIALISTS EXAM
2.A nurse is caring for a patient who recently had abdominal surgery and is experiencing severe
pain. The patient’s bloodpressure is 110/60 mm Hg,
and heart rate is 60 beats/min. Additionally, the patient does not appear tobe in
any distress. Which
SPECIALISTS EXAM
, SPECIALISTS EXAM
response by the nurse is most therapeutic?
“Your vitals do not show that you are having pain; can youdescribe
a. your pain?”
b. “OK, I will go get you some narcotic pain relievers
immediately.”
c. “What would you like to try to alleviate your pain?”
d. “You do not look like you are in pain.”
ANS: C
Be sure the patient is a partner in making decisions
about the best approaches for managing pain. A patient 20
knows the most about his or her pain and is an important 5 partner in selecting successful
pain therapies. The nurse must believe that a patient is in pain whenever the
patient reports that he or she is in
SPECIALISTS EXAM
, SPECIALISTS EXAM
pain, even if the patient does not appear to be in pain. The nurse must be careful to not
judge the patient basedon vital signs or nonverbal communication and must not assume
that the patient is seeking narcotics. Thepatientis a partner in pain management, so going
to get narcotics to treat the pain without consulting with the patient first is not
appropriate.
3.A nurse teaches the patient about the gate control theory. Which statement
made by a patient reflects acorrect understanding about the relationship
between the gate control theory of pain and the use ofmeditation to relievepain?
“Meditation controls pain by blocking pain impulses fromcoming
a. through the gate.”
“Meditation alters the chemical composition of painneuroregulators,
b. which closes the gate.”
“Meditation will help me sleep through the pain because itopens the
c. gate.”
d. “Meditation stops the occurrence of pain stimuli.”
ANS: A
According to this theory, gating mechanisms located along the central nervoussystem
regulate or block painimpulses. Pain impulses pass through when a gate is open and
are blocked when a gate is closed.
Nonpharmacologic pain-relief measures, such as meditation, work byclosing the
gates, which keepspain impulses from coming through.
Meditation does not open pain gates or stop pain fromoccurring. Meditationalso
does not have an effect on pain neuroregulators.
4.A nurse is planning care for an older-adult patient who is
SPECIALISTS EXAM
HESI RN COMPREHENSIVE PREDICTOR [LATEST
UPDATED VERSION]
1An oriented patient has recently had surgery. Whichaction is best for the nurseto
take to assess this
patient’s pain?
a. Assess the patient’s body language.
b. Ask the patient to rate the level of pain.
c. Observe the cardiac monitor for increased heart rate.
d. Have the patient describe the effect of pain on the abilityto cope.
ANS: B
One of the most subjective and therefore most usefulcharacteristics for reporting
pain is its severity.
Therefore, the best way to assess a patient’s painis to ask the patient to rate the pain.
Nonverbal communication, such as body language, is not as effective in assessing pain,
especially when the patientis oriented. Heart rate sometimes increases when a patient
is in pain, but this is not a symptom that is
specific to pain. Pain sometimes affects a patient’s ability to cope, but assessing the effect
of pain on copingassesses the patient’sability to cope; it does not assess the patient’s
pain.
SPECIALISTS EXAM
, SPECIALISTS EXAM
2.A nurse is caring for a patient who recently had abdominal surgery and is experiencing severe
pain. The patient’s bloodpressure is 110/60 mm Hg,
and heart rate is 60 beats/min. Additionally, the patient does not appear tobe in
any distress. Which
SPECIALISTS EXAM
, SPECIALISTS EXAM
response by the nurse is most therapeutic?
“Your vitals do not show that you are having pain; can youdescribe
a. your pain?”
b. “OK, I will go get you some narcotic pain relievers
immediately.”
c. “What would you like to try to alleviate your pain?”
d. “You do not look like you are in pain.”
ANS: C
Be sure the patient is a partner in making decisions
about the best approaches for managing pain. A patient 20
knows the most about his or her pain and is an important 5 partner in selecting successful
pain therapies. The nurse must believe that a patient is in pain whenever the
patient reports that he or she is in
SPECIALISTS EXAM
, SPECIALISTS EXAM
pain, even if the patient does not appear to be in pain. The nurse must be careful to not
judge the patient basedon vital signs or nonverbal communication and must not assume
that the patient is seeking narcotics. Thepatientis a partner in pain management, so going
to get narcotics to treat the pain without consulting with the patient first is not
appropriate.
3.A nurse teaches the patient about the gate control theory. Which statement
made by a patient reflects acorrect understanding about the relationship
between the gate control theory of pain and the use ofmeditation to relievepain?
“Meditation controls pain by blocking pain impulses fromcoming
a. through the gate.”
“Meditation alters the chemical composition of painneuroregulators,
b. which closes the gate.”
“Meditation will help me sleep through the pain because itopens the
c. gate.”
d. “Meditation stops the occurrence of pain stimuli.”
ANS: A
According to this theory, gating mechanisms located along the central nervoussystem
regulate or block painimpulses. Pain impulses pass through when a gate is open and
are blocked when a gate is closed.
Nonpharmacologic pain-relief measures, such as meditation, work byclosing the
gates, which keepspain impulses from coming through.
Meditation does not open pain gates or stop pain fromoccurring. Meditationalso
does not have an effect on pain neuroregulators.
4.A nurse is planning care for an older-adult patient who is
SPECIALISTS EXAM
