Exam 36: Pain Management

The nurse is caring for a patient who has severe abdominal pain caused by acute cholecystitis. The nurse recognizes which type of pain is this patient experiencing?

The nurse is caring for a patient who has pain following abdominal surgery. Which actions are independent nursing interventions that can be used to make the patient more comfortable?

The nurse is caring for a 6-month-old infant who has just undergone surgery. The infant's facial muscles are tight with a furrowed brow and the infant's respirations are shallow and irregular. The infant is mildly fussy and softly crying without muscular rigidity in the arms and legs. What score will the nurse give to the infant on the Neonatal Infant Pain Scale?

The nurse is caring for a patient who is recovering from thoracotomy surgery and notes that the patient's pain is rated 9/10 and is unable to focus on anything. Which intervention by the nurse is the highest priority?

The nurse is caring for a patient who only speaks a foreign language. What is the best method for the nurse to assess the patient's pain level?

The nurse is checking on the patient after administering pain medication 30 minutes previously. Which assessment finding best indicates to the nurse that the pain medication was effective?

The nurse is caring for a patient who just underwent laparoscopic appendectomy. The patient complains of severe postoperative pain between the shoulder blades. Which term best describes the pain that this patient is having?

The nurse identifies which patient to be best suited for PCA analgesia?

The nurse is caring for a patient who has severe burning pain in the right arm caused by a compressed nerve in the neck. Which medications can be used along with a narcotic pain reliever to relieve the patient's pain until surgery can be performed to release the nerve?

The nurse is caring for a patient with rheumatoid arthritis who is in constant severe pain. Which nursing diagnosis is the highest priority for this patient?

The nurse is caring for a patient with severe chronic pain and applied the first 50 mcg transdermal fetanyl (Duragesic) patch 2 hours ago. The patient states that the pain is presently rated at 9 on a 1 to 10 scale. What is the nurse's best action?

The nurse knows which is the best pain medication option for a patient to manage severe long-term cancer pain at home?

The nurse is caring for a patient who has been taking ibuprofen (Motrin) 800 mg TID for the last several months to relieve knee pain from arthritis. Which assessment finding must be reported by the nurse to the provider promptly?

The nurse is caring for a patient who just had knee replacement surgery. Which factors will affect how the patient experiences pain after this surgery?

What is the priority nursing assessment for a patient who is receiving postoperative epidural analgesia with hydromorphone (Dilaudid)?

The nurse is caring for a cancer patient with ongoing pain from widespread metastasis to the bones. The nurse notes that the patient's morphine dosage had to be increased to sufficiently manage the discomfort. What is the nurse's interpretation of this assessment finding?

Which assessment question helps the nurse determine the character of the patient's pain?

The nurse is caring for a patient recovering from knee replacement surgery. The patient complains of severe pain in the knee after receiving hydrocodone with acetaminophen (Vicodin) 2 hours previously. What is the nurse's best action?

The nurse is caring for a diabetic patient who has painful foot neuropathy. The patient asks why the nurse is administering gabapentin (Neurontin) when there is no history of seizure disorder. What is the nurse's best response?

The nurse is caring for a patient who has a PCA pump following total hysterectomy surgery. The nurse sees the visitor push the PCA button while the patient is sleeping quietly. What is the best response of the nurse?