To assess the quality of an adult client’s pain, which approach should the nurse use?

Observe body language and movement

Ask the client to describe the pain

Identify effective pain relief measures

Provide a numeric pain scale

Answer and Explanation

The Correct Answer is B

Choice A reason: Observing body language and movement provides clues to pain but is subjective and incomplete. Clients may mask pain, and movements vary. Verbal description captures quality, like burning or stabbing, guiding specific interventions, making this approach less comprehensive for pain assessment.

Choice B reason: Asking the client to describe the pain is best, as it captures quality, location, and characteristics (e.g., sharp, dull), essential for diagnosing etiology and tailoring treatment. Subjective verbal input provides detailed data, aligning with pain management guidelines, making this the most effective approach.

Choice C reason: Identifying pain relief measures is part of management, not assessment. Understanding pain quality via description informs which measures are effective, and this step follows assessment, making it premature and less focused on capturing the pain’s nature.

Choice D reason: A numeric pain scale quantifies intensity but not quality, missing details like burning or throbbing, which guide diagnosis. Descriptive verbal input provides a fuller picture, making the scale useful but secondary to asking for a detailed pain description.

Nursing Test Bank

Test Bank #1: RN Pharmacology Exams Test Bank #2: RN Medical-Surgical Exams Test Bank #3: RN Fundamentals Exams Test Bank #4: RN Maternal-Newborn Exams Test Bank #5: RN Anatomy and Physiology Exams Test Bank #6: RN Obstetrics and Pediatrics Exams Test Bank #7: RN Fluid and Electrolytes Exams Test Bank #9: RN Adult Health Test Bank #10: RN Dosage Calculation Test Bank #11: RN Community Health Exams Test Bank #12: RN Psychology Exams Test Bank #13: RN Nursing Care Of Children Test Bank #14: RN Foundations of Nursing Exams

Get 100+ Naxlex Exit Exams for $79 Try Naxlex NCLEX-RN (14 Day Free-Trial)

Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams

Exam #1: RN Comprehensive predictor 2023 proctored exam Exam #2: Ati rn vati comprehensive predictor proctored exam Exam #3: Ati Rn Comprehensive Predictor Proctored Exam 2023 Exam #4: Rn Comprehensive Predictor 2023 Proctored Exam - St. Joseph Exam #5: RN Comprehensive Predictor Proctored Exam (National U CA San Diego) Exam #6: Ati rn comprehensive predictor 2023 retake proctored exam Exam #7: RN Hesi Exit Proctored Exam Exam #8: Hesi RN Exit proctored exam Exam #9: Hesi rn exit proctored exam Exam #10: Hesi Rn compass exit B proctored exam

Free Nursing Study Resources

Correct Answer is C

Explanation

Choice A reason: Teaching a family member to administer eye drops is important for post-discharge care but not immediate post-procedure. Eye protection is critical initially to prevent injury, as drops are typically nurse-administered in-hospital, making this intervention secondary.

Choice B reason: Obtaining vital signs every 2 hours monitors systemic stability but is not specific to eye surgery. Local protection of the surgical site with an eye shield prevents immediate complications like trauma, making vital signs monitoring less urgent post-procedure.

Choice C reason: Providing an eye shield for sleeping is critical immediately post-procedure, as the right eye is vulnerable to accidental trauma during sleep. The shield protects the surgical site, preventing complications like infection or displacement, making this the priority intervention for recovery.

Choice D reason: Deep breathing and coughing exercises prevent pulmonary complications in major surgeries, not minor eye procedures. These actions may increase intraocular pressure, risking surgical site damage, making this intervention inappropriate and potentially harmful post-eye surgery.

A. Topical analgesics B. Colloidal oatmeal-based lotion C. Topical antifungal D. Topical corticosteroids

Correct Answer is D

Explanation

Choice A reason: Topical analgesics relieve pain but do not address psoriasis’s underlying inflammation or scaling. Psoriasis involves immune-mediated epidermal hyperproliferation, causing scaly, burning plaques. Analgesics may reduce discomfort temporarily but fail to target the inflammatory process driven by T-cell activation, making this choice ineffective for managing psoriasis symptoms.

Choice B reason: Colloidal oatmeal-based lotion soothes irritated skin but is insufficient for psoriasis, which requires anti-inflammatory treatment. Oatmeal reduces itching in conditions like eczema but does not address psoriasis’s silvery scales or immune-driven inflammation, making it an inadequate choice for controlling the client’s burning, bleeding plaques.

Choice C reason: Topical antifungals treat fungal infections, not psoriasis, which is an autoimmune condition with no fungal etiology. The silvery, scaly plaques result from rapid keratinocyte turnover, not fungal growth, so antifungals are irrelevant, failing to reduce inflammation or scaling in this chronic inflammatory dermatologic condition.

Choice D reason: Topical corticosteroids are effective for psoriasis, reducing inflammation, scaling, and burning by suppressing T-cell activity and cytokine production. They slow epidermal proliferation, alleviating silvery plaques and bleeding. Potent corticosteroids are standard for elbow and palm lesions, making this the appropriate prescription to teach the client for symptom control.

View Question and Answer

Whether you are a student looking to ace your exams or a practicing nurse seeking to enhance your expertise , our nursing education contents will empower you with the confidence and competence to make a difference in the lives of patients and become a respected leader in the healthcare field.

Visit Naxlex, invest in your future and unlock endless possibilities with our unparalleled nursing education contents today

To assess the quality of an adult client’s pain, which approach should the nurse use?

Nursing Test Bank

Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams

A client is recovering from the surgical removal of glass in the right eye. Which intervention should the nurse implement immediately following the procedure?

Correct Answer is C

Explanation

A client with psoriasis returns to the clinic reporting the persistence of several silvery, scaly areas on the elbows and palms that frequently burn and sometimes bleed. Which prescription should the nurse teach the client to use for the skin condition?

Correct Answer is D

Explanation

The nurse is caring for a client with emphysema who is mildly dyspneic after ambulation. Which instruction should the nurse provide to the client to improve gas exchange?

A client with a history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) receives a new prescription for an ipratropium inhaler. Which action indicates to the nurse that additional teaching is needed?

To assess the quality of an adult client’s pain, which approach should the nurse use?

A client with myasthenia gravis receives a new prescription for pyridostigmine. Which information should the nurse obtain prior to administering the medication?

When performing postural drainage on a client with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which approach should the nurse use?

While changing a client’s postoperative dressing, the nurse observes purulent drainage at the wound. Before reporting this finding to the healthcare provider (HCP), the nurse should note which of the client’s laboratory values?

The client with Clostridium difficile in the stool receives a prescription for vancomycin PO. Which action should the nurse take before administering the first dose?