PAIN MANAGEMENT-NCLEX QUESTIONS, FUNDAMENTALS
OF NURSING VERIFIED FOR 2025
1. Why is it important for nurses to ask patients to describe their pain in their
own words?
It focuses only on the physical aspects of pain.
It allows for a more accurate assessment of the patient's pain
experience and helps tailor treatment.
It ensures that the nurse can provide medication without further
questions.
It simplifies the communication process between nurse and
patient.
2. In a scenario where a patient expresses both physical pain and emotional
distress, how should a nurse approach pain management?
The nurse should only address the physical pain and ignore
emotional factors.
The nurse should refer the patient to a psychologist without
assessing their pain.
The nurse should focus on medication alone without considering
the patient's emotional state.
The nurse should assess both the physical and emotional
components of the patient's pain experience to provide
comprehensive care.
3. What type of pain is characterized by lasting longer than 6 months and
being constant or recurring?
,Chronic episodic pain
Acute pain
, Idiopathic pain
Chronic pain
4. In a pain assessment, the mnemonic ABCDE stands for what?
Always, Be, Certain, Dose, Effective
Addiction, Be, Careful, Drug, Encourage
Ask, Buy, Category, Dose, Efficacy
Ask, Believe, Choose, Deliver, Empower/Enable
5. A health care provider writes the following order for a patient who is
opioid naive who returned from the OR following a total hip: fentanyl
patch 100mcg, change every 3 days. On the basis of this order, the nurse
takes the following action:
places the patch as close to the hip dressing as possible
calls the HCP and questions the order
applies the patch on the third day post op
applies the patch as soon as the patient reports pain
6. Why is the patient's self-report considered the most accurate method for
assessing pain?
The patient's self-report reflects their personal experience and
perception of pain.
The patient's wife can better judge the pain level based on her
observations.
Health care providers have more training in pain assessment than
patients.
The nurse's experience is more reliable than the patient's report.
, 7. The nurse is caring for a patient with rheumatoid arthritis who states, "The
joints in my hands and feet have been really sore for the last 2 years."
Which is the best nursing diagnosis?
Impaired physical mobility
Acute pain
Impaired comfort
Chronic pain
8. Which of the following instructions for use of a patient-controlled
analgesia (PCA) pump is most important when educating the patient and
family before implementation?
Wait for the pain to become severe before pushing the button.
Only the patient should push the button.
A spouse can push the button when the patient is asleep.
Notify the nurse when you need to push the button.
9. In a scenario where a patient is experiencing high levels of stress and
pain, which intervention would best promote relaxation and a sense of
control?
Administering a high dose of analgesics
Encouraging the patient to ignore their pain
Increasing the patient's physical activity level
Guided imagery or deep breathing exercises
10. Describe how a patient's self-reported pain level can be used to assess
the effectiveness of PCA.
A patient's self-reported pain level is irrelevant to PCA
effectiveness.
OF NURSING VERIFIED FOR 2025
1. Why is it important for nurses to ask patients to describe their pain in their
own words?
It focuses only on the physical aspects of pain.
It allows for a more accurate assessment of the patient's pain
experience and helps tailor treatment.
It ensures that the nurse can provide medication without further
questions.
It simplifies the communication process between nurse and
patient.
2. In a scenario where a patient expresses both physical pain and emotional
distress, how should a nurse approach pain management?
The nurse should only address the physical pain and ignore
emotional factors.
The nurse should refer the patient to a psychologist without
assessing their pain.
The nurse should focus on medication alone without considering
the patient's emotional state.
The nurse should assess both the physical and emotional
components of the patient's pain experience to provide
comprehensive care.
3. What type of pain is characterized by lasting longer than 6 months and
being constant or recurring?
,Chronic episodic pain
Acute pain
, Idiopathic pain
Chronic pain
4. In a pain assessment, the mnemonic ABCDE stands for what?
Always, Be, Certain, Dose, Effective
Addiction, Be, Careful, Drug, Encourage
Ask, Buy, Category, Dose, Efficacy
Ask, Believe, Choose, Deliver, Empower/Enable
5. A health care provider writes the following order for a patient who is
opioid naive who returned from the OR following a total hip: fentanyl
patch 100mcg, change every 3 days. On the basis of this order, the nurse
takes the following action:
places the patch as close to the hip dressing as possible
calls the HCP and questions the order
applies the patch on the third day post op
applies the patch as soon as the patient reports pain
6. Why is the patient's self-report considered the most accurate method for
assessing pain?
The patient's self-report reflects their personal experience and
perception of pain.
The patient's wife can better judge the pain level based on her
observations.
Health care providers have more training in pain assessment than
patients.
The nurse's experience is more reliable than the patient's report.
, 7. The nurse is caring for a patient with rheumatoid arthritis who states, "The
joints in my hands and feet have been really sore for the last 2 years."
Which is the best nursing diagnosis?
Impaired physical mobility
Acute pain
Impaired comfort
Chronic pain
8. Which of the following instructions for use of a patient-controlled
analgesia (PCA) pump is most important when educating the patient and
family before implementation?
Wait for the pain to become severe before pushing the button.
Only the patient should push the button.
A spouse can push the button when the patient is asleep.
Notify the nurse when you need to push the button.
9. In a scenario where a patient is experiencing high levels of stress and
pain, which intervention would best promote relaxation and a sense of
control?
Administering a high dose of analgesics
Encouraging the patient to ignore their pain
Increasing the patient's physical activity level
Guided imagery or deep breathing exercises
10. Describe how a patient's self-reported pain level can be used to assess
the effectiveness of PCA.
A patient's self-reported pain level is irrelevant to PCA
effectiveness.
