Exam 31: Pain Assessment and Management

A nurse receives an order from a health care provider to administer Vicodin ES,which contains 750 mg acetaminophen and 7.5 mg hydrocodone,to a patient who is experiencing postsurgical pain rated 8 on a 0-to-10 scale.The order is to give 2 tablets every 6 hours by mouth as needed for pain.What is the nurse's best next action?

The nurse is caring for two patients;both are having a hysterectomy.The first patient is having the hysterectomy after a complicated birth.The second patient has uterine cancer.What will most likely influence the experience of pain for these two patients?

The nurse anticipates administering an opioid fentanyl patch to which patient?

A nurse is caring for a patient who recently had spinal surgery.The nurse knows that patients usually experience acute pain after this type of surgery.The patient refuses to get up and walk and is not moving around in the bed.However,the patient is stoic and denies experiencing pain at this time.What most likely explains this patient's behaviour and response to surgery?

The nurse is caring for a patient who recently had surgery to repair a hernia.The patient's pain was rated 7 on a scale of 0 to 10 before pain medication was administered.One hour after receiving an oral opioid,the patient ranks his pain at 3.The patient asks the nurse why he isn't receiving more pain medication.Which is the nurse's best response?

The nurse is administering pain medication to several patients.Which patient does the nurse administer medication to first?

A nurse is supervising a student who is caring for a patient with chronic pain.Which statement by the student indicates an understanding of pain management?

What is the most appropriate way to assess the pain of a patient who is oriented and has recently had surgery?

The nurse knows that which technique is best for assessing pain in a child who is 4 years of age?

A patient who has had type 2 diabetes for 26 years is beginning to experience peripheral neuropathy in the feet and lower legs,which is causing the patient to have a decreased ability to feel pain in the lower extremities.The nurse is providing education to the patient to prevent injury to the feet.The nurse tells the patient to always wear shoes or slippers when walking.Which of the following statements made by the nurse best explains the rationale for this instruction?

A nurse is caring for a patient who fell on the ice and has connective tissue damage in the wrist and hand.What type of pain is the patient experiencing?

The nurse recognizes that which of the following is a modifiable contributor to a patient's perception of pain?

A nurse is assessing a patient who started to have severe pain 3 days ago.When the nurse asks the patient to describe the pain,the patient states,"The pain feels like it is in my stomach.It is a burning pain,and it spreads out in a circle around the spot where it hurts the most." What type of pain does the nurse document that the patient is having at this time?

A nurse is caring for a patient who is experiencing pain after abdominal surgery.What information is important for the nurse to tell the patient when providing patient education about effective pain management?

The nurse is teaching a student nurse about pain assessment scales.Which statement by the student indicates correct understanding?

A patient arrives at the emergency department experiencing a headache and rates the pain as 7 on a 0-to-10 pain scale.What nonpharmacological intervention does the nurse implement for this patient while awaiting orders for pain medication from the health care provider?

Which of the following statements made by a patient indicates that the patient understands the relationship between the gate control theory of pain and the use of meditation to relieve pain?

A nursing student is planning care for an older patient who is experiencing pain.Which of the following statements made by the nursing student indicates the need for the nursing professor to clarify the nursing student's knowledge?

A nurse is caring for a patient with rheumatoid arthritis who is now going to be taking 2 acetaminophen (Tylenol)tablets every 6 hours to control pain.Which part of the patient's social history is the nurse most concerned about?

The nurse is assessing how a patient's pain is affecting mobility.Which assessment question is most appropriate?