NR304 / NR 304 Exam 1 V2 (New Update)
Health Assessment I | Questions and Answers | 100%
Correct Elaborations| Grade A - Chamberlain
A new nurse reports to the nurse preceptor that a client requested pain medication, and when
the nurse brought it, the client was sound asleep. The nurse states the client cannot possibly
sleep with the severe pain the client described. Which response by the experienced nurse is
best?
a. "Being able to sleep doesn't mean pain doesn't exist."
b. "Have you ever experienced any type of pain?"
c. "The client should be assessed for drug addiction."
d. "You're right; I would put the medication back."`
ANS: A
A client's description is the most accurate assessment of pain. The nurse would believe the
client and provide pain relief. Physiologic changes due to pain vary from client to client, and
assessments of them would not supersede the client's descriptions, especially if the pain is
chronic in nature. Asking if the new nurse has had pain is judgmental and flippant and does
not provide useful information. This amount of information does not warrant an assessment
for drug addiction. Putting the medication back and ignoring the client's report of pain serves
no useful purpose and is unethical.
The nurse in the outpatient surgery clinic is discussing an upcoming surgical procedure with a
client. Which information provided by the nurse is most appropriate for the client's long-term
outcome?
a. "At least you know that the pain after surgery will diminish quickly."
, NR304 / NR 304 Exam 1 V2 (New Update)
Health Assessment I | Questions and Answers | 100%
Correct Elaborations| Grade A - Chamberlain
b. "Discuss acceptable pain control after your operation with the surgeon."
c. "Opioids often cause nausea but you won't have to take them for long."
d. "The nursing staff will give you pain medication when you ask them for it."
ANS: B
The best outcome after a surgical procedure is timely and satisfactory pain control, which
diminishes the likelihood of chronic pain afterward. The nurse suggests that the client
advocate for himself or herself and discuss acceptable pain control with the surgeon. Stating
that pain after surgery is usually short lived does not provide the client with options to have
personalized pain control. To prevent or reduce nausea and other side effects from opioids, a
multimodal pain approach is desired. For acute pain after surgery, giving pain medications
around the clock instead of waiting until the client requests it is a better approach.
A nurse is assessing pain on a confused older client who has difficulty with verbal expression.
Which pain assessment tool would the nurse choose for this assessment?
a. Numeric rating scale
b. Verbal Descriptor Scale
c. FACES Pain Scale-Revised
d. Wong-Baker FACES Pain Scale
ANS: C
All are valid pain rating scales; however, some research has shown that the FACES Pain
Scale-Revised is preferred by both cognitively intact and cognitively impaired adults. A
confused client with difficulty speaking would not be a good candidate for the numeric rating
scale or the verbal descriptor scale. The cartoon images on the Wong-Baker FACES Pain
, NR304 / NR 304 Exam 1 V2 (New Update)
Health Assessment I | Questions and Answers | 100%
Correct Elaborations| Grade A - Chamberlain
Scale may not be appropriate for an adult client.
The nurse is assessing a client's pain and has elicited information on the location, quality,
intensity, effect on functioning, aggravating and relieving factors, and onset and duration.
Which question by the nurse would be best to ask the client for completing a comprehensive
pain assessment?
a. "Are you worried about addiction to pain pills?"
b. "Do you attach any spiritual meaning to pain?"
c. "How high would you say your pain tolerance is?"
d. "What pain rating would be acceptable to you?"
ANS: D
A comprehensive pain assessment includes the items listed in the question plus the client's
opinion on a comfort-function outcome, such as what pain rating would be acceptable to him
or her. Asking about addiction is not warranted in an initial pain assessment. Asking about
spiritual meanings for pain may give the nurse important information, but getting the basics
first is more important. Asking about pain tolerance may give the client the idea that pain
tolerance is being judged.
A nurse is assessing pain in an older adult. Which action by the nurse is best?
a. Ask only "yes-or-no" questions so the client doesn't get too tired.
b. Give the client a picture of the pain scale and come back later.
, NR304 / NR 304 Exam 1 V2 (New Update)
Health Assessment I | Questions and Answers | 100%
Correct Elaborations| Grade A - Chamberlain
c. Question the client about new pain only, not normal pain from aging.
d. Sit down, ask one question at a time, and allow the client to answer.
ANS: D
Some older clients do not report pain because they think it is a normal part of aging or
because they do not want to be a bother. Sitting down conveys time, interest, and availability.
Ask only one question at a time and allow the client enough time to answer it. Yes-or-no
questions are an example of poor communication technique. Giving the client a pain scale,
and then leaving, might give the impression that the nurse does not have time for the client.
Also, the client may not know how to use it. There is no normal pain from aging.
The nurse receives a hand-off report. One client is described as a drug seeker who is obsessed
with even tiny changes in physical condition and is "on the light constantly" asking for more
pain medication. When assessing this client's pain, which statement or question by the nurse
is most appropriate?
a. "Help me understand how pain is affecting you right now."
b. "I wish I could do more; is there anything I can get for you?"
c. "You cannot have more pain medication for 3 hours."
d. "Why do you think the medication is not helping your pain?"
ANS: A
A client who is preoccupied with physical symptoms and is "demanding" may have some
psychosocial impact from the pain that is not being addressed. The nurse is providing the
client the chance to explain the emotional effects of pain in addition to the physical ones.
Saying the nurse wishes he or she could do more is very empathetic, but this response does
Health Assessment I | Questions and Answers | 100%
Correct Elaborations| Grade A - Chamberlain
A new nurse reports to the nurse preceptor that a client requested pain medication, and when
the nurse brought it, the client was sound asleep. The nurse states the client cannot possibly
sleep with the severe pain the client described. Which response by the experienced nurse is
best?
a. "Being able to sleep doesn't mean pain doesn't exist."
b. "Have you ever experienced any type of pain?"
c. "The client should be assessed for drug addiction."
d. "You're right; I would put the medication back."`
ANS: A
A client's description is the most accurate assessment of pain. The nurse would believe the
client and provide pain relief. Physiologic changes due to pain vary from client to client, and
assessments of them would not supersede the client's descriptions, especially if the pain is
chronic in nature. Asking if the new nurse has had pain is judgmental and flippant and does
not provide useful information. This amount of information does not warrant an assessment
for drug addiction. Putting the medication back and ignoring the client's report of pain serves
no useful purpose and is unethical.
The nurse in the outpatient surgery clinic is discussing an upcoming surgical procedure with a
client. Which information provided by the nurse is most appropriate for the client's long-term
outcome?
a. "At least you know that the pain after surgery will diminish quickly."
, NR304 / NR 304 Exam 1 V2 (New Update)
Health Assessment I | Questions and Answers | 100%
Correct Elaborations| Grade A - Chamberlain
b. "Discuss acceptable pain control after your operation with the surgeon."
c. "Opioids often cause nausea but you won't have to take them for long."
d. "The nursing staff will give you pain medication when you ask them for it."
ANS: B
The best outcome after a surgical procedure is timely and satisfactory pain control, which
diminishes the likelihood of chronic pain afterward. The nurse suggests that the client
advocate for himself or herself and discuss acceptable pain control with the surgeon. Stating
that pain after surgery is usually short lived does not provide the client with options to have
personalized pain control. To prevent or reduce nausea and other side effects from opioids, a
multimodal pain approach is desired. For acute pain after surgery, giving pain medications
around the clock instead of waiting until the client requests it is a better approach.
A nurse is assessing pain on a confused older client who has difficulty with verbal expression.
Which pain assessment tool would the nurse choose for this assessment?
a. Numeric rating scale
b. Verbal Descriptor Scale
c. FACES Pain Scale-Revised
d. Wong-Baker FACES Pain Scale
ANS: C
All are valid pain rating scales; however, some research has shown that the FACES Pain
Scale-Revised is preferred by both cognitively intact and cognitively impaired adults. A
confused client with difficulty speaking would not be a good candidate for the numeric rating
scale or the verbal descriptor scale. The cartoon images on the Wong-Baker FACES Pain
, NR304 / NR 304 Exam 1 V2 (New Update)
Health Assessment I | Questions and Answers | 100%
Correct Elaborations| Grade A - Chamberlain
Scale may not be appropriate for an adult client.
The nurse is assessing a client's pain and has elicited information on the location, quality,
intensity, effect on functioning, aggravating and relieving factors, and onset and duration.
Which question by the nurse would be best to ask the client for completing a comprehensive
pain assessment?
a. "Are you worried about addiction to pain pills?"
b. "Do you attach any spiritual meaning to pain?"
c. "How high would you say your pain tolerance is?"
d. "What pain rating would be acceptable to you?"
ANS: D
A comprehensive pain assessment includes the items listed in the question plus the client's
opinion on a comfort-function outcome, such as what pain rating would be acceptable to him
or her. Asking about addiction is not warranted in an initial pain assessment. Asking about
spiritual meanings for pain may give the nurse important information, but getting the basics
first is more important. Asking about pain tolerance may give the client the idea that pain
tolerance is being judged.
A nurse is assessing pain in an older adult. Which action by the nurse is best?
a. Ask only "yes-or-no" questions so the client doesn't get too tired.
b. Give the client a picture of the pain scale and come back later.
, NR304 / NR 304 Exam 1 V2 (New Update)
Health Assessment I | Questions and Answers | 100%
Correct Elaborations| Grade A - Chamberlain
c. Question the client about new pain only, not normal pain from aging.
d. Sit down, ask one question at a time, and allow the client to answer.
ANS: D
Some older clients do not report pain because they think it is a normal part of aging or
because they do not want to be a bother. Sitting down conveys time, interest, and availability.
Ask only one question at a time and allow the client enough time to answer it. Yes-or-no
questions are an example of poor communication technique. Giving the client a pain scale,
and then leaving, might give the impression that the nurse does not have time for the client.
Also, the client may not know how to use it. There is no normal pain from aging.
The nurse receives a hand-off report. One client is described as a drug seeker who is obsessed
with even tiny changes in physical condition and is "on the light constantly" asking for more
pain medication. When assessing this client's pain, which statement or question by the nurse
is most appropriate?
a. "Help me understand how pain is affecting you right now."
b. "I wish I could do more; is there anything I can get for you?"
c. "You cannot have more pain medication for 3 hours."
d. "Why do you think the medication is not helping your pain?"
ANS: A
A client who is preoccupied with physical symptoms and is "demanding" may have some
psychosocial impact from the pain that is not being addressed. The nurse is providing the
client the chance to explain the emotional effects of pain in addition to the physical ones.
Saying the nurse wishes he or she could do more is very empathetic, but this response does
