A client’s child is about to undergo a painful procedure.
The nurse decides to use the Wong-Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale to assess the child’s pain level.
Which of the following statements would be appropriate for the nurse to say to the child during this assessment?

Choice A rationale:

The FLACC Scale (Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, Consolability) is typically used for infants and young children who cannot effectively communicate their pain through verbal means.

This tool is not suitable for children aged 5 years and older as they can often express their pain verbally and can use more appropriate pain assessment tools.

Choice B rationale:

The Wong-Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale is a suitable tool for children aged 5 years and older.

It uses a series of faces depicting various levels of pain, making it easier for children to express their pain intensity.

This tool is particularly useful for children who can understand and communicate their feelings but may have difficulty with numerical scales.

Choice C rationale:

The Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) is a suitable tool for children aged 5 years and older.

It asks the child to rate their pain on a scale from 0 to 10, with 0 representing no pain and 10 representing the worst pain imaginable.

Children in this age group can often understand and use numerical scales effectively.

Choice D rationale:

The Visual Analog Scale (VAS) is not typically recommended for children aged 5 years and older.

It requires the ability to mark a point on a line to indicate pain intensity, which can be challenging for young children.

Other tools like the Wong-Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale or the Numeric Rating Scale are more appropriate for this age group.

Choice E rationale:

None of the above" is not the correct choice, as options B, C, and D are suitable for children aged 5 years and older.

Choice A rationale:

If the child rates their pain as 3 on the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), this numerical value represents mild pain.

The NRS typically uses a scale from 0 to 10, with 0 indicating no pain and 10 indicating the worst pain imaginable.

A rating of 3 falls on the lower end of the scale, signifying mild discomfort or pain.

Choice B rationale:

An NRS rating of 3 is not considered moderate pain.

It is more in the range of mild pain.

Moderate pain would typically be rated higher on the scale, such as 4 to 6.

Choice C rationale:

An NRS rating of 3 is not indicative of severe pain.

Severe pain would typically be rated much higher on the scale, around 7 or higher.

Choice D rationale:

An NRS rating of 3 does not represent no pain.

It indicates the presence of pain, albeit at a relatively mild level.

A rating of 0 on the NRS would signify the absence of pain.