PRINCIPLES OF MEDICAL SURGICAL NURSING
The nurse is assessing pain in a patient with appendicitis. Which initial statement
or question will be most effective in eliciting information?
A. "Tell me how you feel"
B. " Point to where you're feeling pain"
C. " Does your pain medication relieve your pain?"
D. "Coughing makes your pain worse, doesn't it."
Correct answer A: Asking the patient to describe how he's feeling is an open-ended
question, allowing for the widest range of responses. Asking the patient to point to his
pain(Option B) may be an important follow-up question but is too limiting to be the
nurse's first question. Asking if pain medication relieves his pain (Option C) is a closed
question requiring only a yes or no response and should be avoided. (Option D) is
leading as well as closed. It suggests to the patient that coughing should make his pain
worse.
When performing an abdominal assessment, the nurse should follow which
examination sequence?
A. Auscultation, inspection, percussion, palpation
B. Inspection, auscultation, percussion, palpation
C. Palpation, auscultation, percussion, inspection
D. Percussion, palpation, auscultation, inspection
Correct answer B: The correct sequence for abdominal assessment is inspection,
auscultation, percussion, and palpation because this sequence prevents altering bowel
sounds with palpation before auscultation. The correct sequence forall other
assessments ininspection, palpation, percussion, and auscultation.
To maintain a therapeutic environment with a patient and his family, the nurse
can use communication techniques such as clarification. An example of
clarification is:
A. "How is it going?"
B. " You say you aren't concerned, but you've asked me many questions on this
same subject."
C. What do you mean when you say...?"
D. " For now, I would like toconcentrate on..."
Correct answer C: (Option C) is an example of clarification or seeking validation.
(Option A) isn't an example of clarification but is instead an example of a broad-opening
technique. (Option B) is an example of confrontation, which calls attention to
discrepancies in what the patient is saying. (Option D) is an example of focusing or
helping the patient direct his thoughts.
In the stages of death and dying as defined by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, loss,
grief,and intense sadness are symptoms of:
A. depression
The nurse is assessing pain in a patient with appendicitis. Which initial statement
or question will be most effective in eliciting information?
A. "Tell me how you feel"
B. " Point to where you're feeling pain"
C. " Does your pain medication relieve your pain?"
D. "Coughing makes your pain worse, doesn't it."
Correct answer A: Asking the patient to describe how he's feeling is an open-ended
question, allowing for the widest range of responses. Asking the patient to point to his
pain(Option B) may be an important follow-up question but is too limiting to be the
nurse's first question. Asking if pain medication relieves his pain (Option C) is a closed
question requiring only a yes or no response and should be avoided. (Option D) is
leading as well as closed. It suggests to the patient that coughing should make his pain
worse.
When performing an abdominal assessment, the nurse should follow which
examination sequence?
A. Auscultation, inspection, percussion, palpation
B. Inspection, auscultation, percussion, palpation
C. Palpation, auscultation, percussion, inspection
D. Percussion, palpation, auscultation, inspection
Correct answer B: The correct sequence for abdominal assessment is inspection,
auscultation, percussion, and palpation because this sequence prevents altering bowel
sounds with palpation before auscultation. The correct sequence forall other
assessments ininspection, palpation, percussion, and auscultation.
To maintain a therapeutic environment with a patient and his family, the nurse
can use communication techniques such as clarification. An example of
clarification is:
A. "How is it going?"
B. " You say you aren't concerned, but you've asked me many questions on this
same subject."
C. What do you mean when you say...?"
D. " For now, I would like toconcentrate on..."
Correct answer C: (Option C) is an example of clarification or seeking validation.
(Option A) isn't an example of clarification but is instead an example of a broad-opening
technique. (Option B) is an example of confrontation, which calls attention to
discrepancies in what the patient is saying. (Option D) is an example of focusing or
helping the patient direct his thoughts.
In the stages of death and dying as defined by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, loss,
grief,and intense sadness are symptoms of:
A. depression
