A client complaining of "extreme" low back pain is pale and diaphoretic and walks bent at the waist. Before taking vital signs, the nurse suspects that the blood pressure and heart rate will be elevated. What thought process did the nurse use to
What thought process did the nurse use to come to this conclusion?
1. Fact
2. Inference
3. Judgment
4. Opinion
Correct Answer: 2
Rationale 1: A fact can be verified through investigation. In this case, facts would be the elevated pulse and blood pressure readings.
Rationale 2: Inferences are conclusions drawn from facts, going beyond facts to make a statement about something that is not currently known. In this case, acute, severe pain will most likely cause the blood pressure as well as pulse rate to be elevated as the body's response to the painful experience.
Rationale Judgment is evaluating facts and information that reflect values or other criteria; it is a type of opinion. Because the nurse understands the pathophysiology of pain, thinking about changes in vital signs is more than a judgment—it is an inference.
Rationale 4: Opinions are beliefs formed over time and include judgments that may fit facts or be in error.
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