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.

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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.

A. Raise voice volume to a shout B. Over-enunciate word syllables C. Decrease speaking speed D. Exaggerate nonverbal expressions

Correct Answer is C

Explanation

Choice A reason: Shouting increases volume but may distort speech, worsening comprehension for an older adult with hearing loss. Age-related presbycusis impairs high-frequency sound perception, and shouting can cause discomfort without improving clarity, making this an ineffective communication strategy for the client.

Choice B reason: Over-enunciating syllables may help slightly but can sound unnatural, confusing the client. It does not address the primary issue of processing speed in age-related hearing loss, where slower speech allows better auditory processing, making this less effective than reducing speaking speed.

Choice C reason: Decreasing speaking speed is best, as presbycusis slows auditory processing in older adults. Slower speech allows the client to process sounds clearly, improving comprehension without distortion, addressing the client’s difficulty hearing questions effectively and enhancing communication during the assessment.

Choice D reason: Exaggerating nonverbal expressions aids visual cues but does not address auditory comprehension. Hearing loss requires auditory adjustments, and nonverbal cues alone are insufficient for understanding spoken questions, making this less effective than slowing speech to improve verbal clarity.

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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 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

An older adult female client is hospitalized with a fractured femur. During a routine nursing assessment, she repeatedly asks the nurse to “speak up” so that she can hear the questions. Which action is best for the nurse to take?

Correct Answer is C

Explanation

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