The nurse is caring for a client who does not speak English and is assessing the client's pain level. The nurse should consider using which scale to help the client communicate pain levels?
1. A pain questionnaire such as McGill
2. Numeric pain intensity scale
3. Descriptive pain intensity scale
4. Wong-Baker FACES scale
Answer: 4
1. The McGill scale would not be reliable, as the client would have to be able to read English.
2. A numeric scale might be effective if the nurse could communicate with the client.
3. A descriptive scale also requires that the nurse and client be able to communicate.
4. The Wong-Baker FACES scale has the client pick a face that might describe pain from a range of faces, from a smiley face to a deep frown, and is an easy way for the clientâ€"especially a childâ€"to communicate feelings of pain.
You might also like to view...
The nurse has identified the diagnosis of Risk for Impaired Tissue Perfusion Related to Deep Vein Thrombosis in the care of a patient receiving skeletal traction. What nursing intervention best addresses this risk?
A) Encourage independence with ADLs whenever possible. B) Monitor the patient's nutritional status closely. C) Teach the patient to perform ankle and foot exercises within the limitations of traction. D) Administer clopidogrel (Plavix) as ordered.
A client requires a blood transfusion for anemia and informs the nurse that he refuses because he doesn't want to contract acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). What is the best response by the nurse?
A) "It's always a possibility." B) "You don't want to die, do you?" C) "The blood is screened very carefully; the risk is 1 in 2,000,000. D) "If you don't have the transfusion, you are taking a greater risk."
You are the intraoperative nurse transferring a patient from the OR to the PACU after replacement of the right knee. The patient is a 73-year-old female. You know that special attention must be paid to what?
A) Cardiovascular status B) Positioning C) Keeping the patient warm D) Keeping the patient hydrated
Issues to consider when gathering and recording qualitative data are:
A) The presence of environmental noise B) The positive aspects of note taking C) Storing the data in a safe place D) The quality of the recording equipment