A nurse is caring for a patient with chronic pain from arthritis. What action should the nurse take?
Give pain medications around the clock.
Administer pain medication before any activity.
Give pain medication after the pain is a 7/10 on the pain scale.
Administer pain medication only when nonpharmacological measures have failed.
The Correct Answer is A
A. Give pain medications around the clock: Chronic pain management, such as in arthritis, is most effective when medications are administered on a scheduled basis rather than waiting for pain to escalate. Around-the-clock dosing maintains consistent therapeutic levels, reduces flare-ups, and improves the patient’s functional ability and quality of life.
B. Administer pain medication before any activity: While pre-activity dosing can help with movement and physical therapy, it alone may not provide adequate baseline pain control throughout the day. Scheduled dosing is more effective for continuous symptom management in chronic conditions.
C. Give pain medication after the pain is a 7/10 on the pain scale: Waiting until pain reaches a severe level allows unnecessary suffering and can make pain more difficult to control due to central sensitization. Proactive management prevents escalation and improves overall patient comfort.
D. Administer pain medication only when nonpharmacological measures have failed: Limiting medication to after nonpharmacological strategies can result in inadequate pain relief. In chronic conditions, a multimodal approach often works best, combining scheduled pharmacologic therapy with complementary interventions, rather than relying solely on reactive dosing.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is ["10"]
Explanation
Calculation:
The question asks for the volume of acetaminophen to administer in mL.
- Identify the ordered dose and available concentration
Ordered Dose: 320 mg
Available: 160 mg/5 mL
- Calculate the volume to administer
Volume (mL) = (Ordered Dose ÷ Available Dose) × Quantity
Volume = (320 ÷ 160) × 5
Volume = 2 × 5
= 10 mL
Correct Answer is B
Explanation
A. "Had poor results from the pain medication.": While documenting the effectiveness of interventions is important, it does not provide the initial or critical information about the current pain episode. The priority is to record the patient’s pain characteristics to guide timely clinical decision-making, especially for potential cardiac or emergent causes.
B. Reports sharp pain of "8" on a scale of 0 to 10: Pain intensity, quality, and patient-reported description are essential for assessing severity and urgency. Sharp chest pain rated 8/10 indicates a potentially serious cardiovascular or respiratory problem requiring immediate evaluation, making this information the most crucial for documentation and subsequent treatment planning.
C. "My family doesn't believe I'm in pain.": While psychosocial context can influence pain management, it does not reflect the physiologic characteristics of the pain itself. Including such statements may supplement documentation but is secondary to objective and patient-reported pain assessment.
D. Pupils equal and reactive to light: This is a basic neurological assessment finding unrelated to chest pain evaluation. While important for overall assessment, it does not provide critical information about the acute cardiovascular or thoracic event indicated by the patient’s report of severe chest pain.
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