The nurse uses the whispered voice test to assess a patient’s hearing. The nurse is assessing which cranial nerve?

Choice A reason: In a conscious, alert, and oriented patient, the subjective report is the most reliable pain indicator, as pain is a subjective experience. The patient’s description of intensity, location, and quality directly reflects their perception, guided by neurological pain pathways, making this the gold standard.

Choice B reason: Vital signs like elevated heart rate or blood pressure may suggest pain but are nonspecific, as they can result from anxiety, exertion, or other conditions. They are less reliable than the patient’s verbal report, which directly conveys the pain experience.

Choice C reason: X-ray results may identify structural issues but cannot directly assess pain, a subjective sensation processed by the brain’s pain pathways. They are diagnostic, not experiential, making them unreliable for gauging pain in a conscious patient.

Choice D reason: Physical examination findings, like guarding or grimacing, are indirect pain indicators and less reliable than the patient’s subjective report. These signs may be absent or misleading in some patients, making the verbal description more accurate for pain assessment.

Choice A reason: Convergence and pupil constriction are accommodation reflexes, not corneal light reflex, which tests alignment. Light reflection symmetry indicates eye alignment, so this incorrect for the reflex’s purpose.

Choice B reason: Pupil constriction is a pupillary reflex, not corneal light reflex. The corneal reflex involves light reflection on corneas, assessing alignment, not pupil response, so this is incorrect.

Choice C reason: Macular focus is related to visual acuity, not corneal reflex, light reflex, which checks eye alignment via light reflection. Symmetric reflection is key, so this incorrect for the reflex’s indication.

Choice D reason: A normal corneal reflex shows light reflecting in the same spot on both corneas, indicating proper eye alignment. This is the definition of the reflex, making it the correct choice for eye assessment.