ATI LPN
Timby's Introductory Medical-Surgical Nursing Thirteenth, North American Edition
Chapter 11 : Pain Management Questions
Question 1 of 5
The LPN has been assigned to obtain vital signs on several clients. While obtaining vital signs such as temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, and respiratory rate, what other vital sign should the nurse be sure to include in the documentation?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The American Pain Society has proposed that pain assessment should be considered the fifth vital sign. The nurse should check and document the client's pain when assessing the client's temperature, pulse, respirations, and blood pressure. Peripheral pulses, lung sounds, and bowel sounds are important parts of a head-to-toe assessment but are not included in the collection of vital signs.
Question 2 of 5
An adult with severe cognitive impairment has had a surgical procedure, and the nurse is having a difficult time assessing the level of pain the client is having postoperatively. What method can the nurse use to obtain data about the client's pain?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Cognitively impaired older adults may be unable to report pain; comparison of current behavior with previous behavior patterns and reports from caregivers can help in assessing pain in these clients. Pain may manifest as agitation; aggression; withdrawal; or changes in behavior, positioning, or sleep patterns. The other methods would not be appropriate for a cognitively impaired client. Asking the client loudly will not increase the client's understanding.
Question 3 of 5
A preschool-age child is admitted for reports of abdominal pain and vomiting. What is the best method for the nurse to collect data about the pain level of the child?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The Faces scale is best for pediatric, culturally diverse, and mentally challenged clients. It uses pictures and short descriptive phrases. The preschool-age child would have difficulty understanding the meaning of numbers in relation to pain. Asking the child to describe the pain does not give information about the level of pain the child is experiencing. Because the preschool child has a limited vocabulary, a word scale would not be appropriate for the rating of pain.
Question 4 of 5
The nurse is administering a narcotic analgesic for the control of a newly postoperative client's pain. What medication will the nurse administer to this client?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Opioid and opiate analgesics such as morphine and fentanyl are controlled substances referred to as narcotics. The other medications are not opioid analgesics and should not be given for a newly postoperative client.
Question 5 of 5
A client informs the nurse that of having taken ibuprofen every 6 hours for 3 weeks to help alleviate the pain of arthritis. The client has a history of a gastric ulcer and is taking a proton pump inhibitor for the treatment of this disorder. What should the nurse instruct the client about the use of the ibuprofen?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Clients should not use an over-the-counter analgesic agent, such as aspirin, ibuprofen, or acetaminophen, consistently to treat chronic pain without first consulting a physician. Ibuprofen is not contraindicated when taking a proton pump inhibitor. Asking 'Don't you know that you can cause bleeding when you take that medication so often?' implies accusation and is not a therapeutic response.