A patient who is sleeping can still be experiencing significant pain.
Correct Answer
True
True. Sleep can come from exhaustion or medication, so being asleep does not rule out pain. The nurse assesses pain when the patient wakes and looks for other cues rather than assuming a sleeping patient is comfortable.
Category: Pain Assessment Skills
Question 2
Acute pain that is left untreated can progress to chronic pain.
Correct Answer
True
True. Repeated pain signals from an untreated injury can change the way the nervous system processes pain, and an untreated injury such as a fracture may fail to heal, so prompt treatment of acute pain matters.
Category: Types of Pain
Question 3
Cold therapy dilates blood vessels so more blood reaches an injured area.
Correct Answer
False
False. Cold constricts blood vessels, which limits swelling and numbs nerve endings. Heat is the measure that dilates blood vessels and increases blood flow.
Category: Nonpharmacologic Measures
Question 4
Heat and cold packs should have a cloth barrier between the pack and the skin.
Correct Answer
True
True. Heat or cold applied directly to the skin can cause burns or cold injury, so packs are wrapped and the nurse checks the skin regularly during treatment.
Category: Nonpharmacologic Measures
Question 5
Reflexology applies pressure to specific points on the back and spine.
Correct Answer
False
False. Reflexology applies pressure to specific points on the hands and feet. Manipulation of the spine and joints is chiropractic therapy.
Category: Nonpharmacologic Measures
Question 6
A patient who takes an anticoagulant should tell the acupuncturist, because the needles can cause bleeding or bruising.
Correct Answer
True
True. Acupuncture inserts thin needles through the skin, so a patient taking a blood thinner is more likely to bleed or bruise at the needle sites. Sharing the full medication list lets the practitioner take precautions.
Category: Nonpharmacologic Measures
Question 7
It is safe for a patient to fall asleep while using a heating pad.
Correct Answer
False
False. A patient who falls asleep on a heating pad cannot notice the skin overheating and can be burned, especially an older adult or a patient with reduced sensation. Teaching includes using a low setting, limiting how long heat is applied, and checking the skin.
Category: Barriers and Safety
Question 8
A patient with chronic pain should be screened for depression and anxiety.
Correct Answer
True
True. Chronic pain is linked to depression, anxiety, anger, and fear of reinjury, and it can sharply lower quality of life, so early screening and support for mood are part of pain care.
Category: Special Populations
Question 9
Neuropathic pain results from damage to muscles and bones rather than to nerves.
Correct Answer
False
False. Neuropathic pain results from damage to nerves or other parts of the nervous system. Pain from damaged muscles, skin, bones, or organs is nociceptive pain.
Category: Types of Pain
Question 10
A TENS unit delivers low-voltage electrical current through electrodes placed on the skin to change pain perception.
Correct Answer
True
True. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation uses a battery-powered device and skin electrodes near the painful area to block or alter the perception of pain.
Category: Nonpharmacologic Measures
Question 11
Before an opioid is prescribed, a prescription drug monitoring program can show the patient's earlier controlled-substance prescriptions.
Correct Answer
True
True. A prescription drug monitoring program is a state-run electronic database of controlled-substance prescriptions, and reviewing it helps identify overdose risk and combinations that raise danger before opioids are prescribed.
Category: Barriers and Safety
Question 12
RICE therapy works best when it is delayed until the swelling has gone down.
Correct Answer
False
False. Rest, ice, compression, and elevation work best when started right after a mild to moderate injury such as a sprain or strain, while swelling is developing; care then shifts toward healing and rehabilitation.
Category: Nonpharmacologic Measures
Question 13
Cognitive behavioral therapy relieves pain by numbing the nerve endings at the injured site.
Correct Answer
False
False. Cognitive behavioral therapy teaches patients to change negative thought patterns, reduce stressors that heighten pain, and adapt when pain cannot be eliminated. Numbing nerve endings describes cold therapy or local anesthetics.
Category: Nonpharmacologic Measures
Question 14
Distraction with activities such as music, games, or television can lessen the perception of pain.
Correct Answer
True
True. Shifting attention away from pain reduces how strongly it is perceived; virtual reality is a newer form of distraction that research suggests may help, particularly in children.
Category: Nonpharmacologic Measures
Question 15
Chronic pain is defined by how intense it is rather than by how long it lasts.
Correct Answer
False
False. Chronic pain is defined by its duration, lasting well beyond the expected healing time, and its intensity can range from mild to severe and change from day to day.
Category: Types of Pain
Question 16
Patients are taught to wait until pain becomes severe before using their prescribed pain measures.
Correct Answer
False
False. Patients are taught to treat pain early, because pain that is allowed to build to a severe level is harder to bring under control.
Category: Barriers and Safety
Question 17
Repositioning is a nonpharmacologic measure that can relieve pain in an older adult while avoiding medication adverse effects.
Correct Answer
True
True. Older adults are more sensitive to analgesic adverse effects, so simple measures such as repositioning are often tried first and the patient is then reassessed to see whether the pain goal is met.
Category: Special Populations
Question 18
Acute pain serves a protective purpose by warning of tissue injury.
Correct Answer
True
True. Acute pain signals actual or threatened tissue damage and prompts the person to protect the injured area and seek care. It usually eases as the tissue heals, whereas chronic pain can persist long after it has stopped serving as a warning.
Category: Types of Pain
Question 19
A stimulus of the same strength produces the same pain intensity in every person.
Correct Answer
False
False. Pain is subjective, so the same stimulus can produce very different responses in different people. This is why the patient's own report guides assessment and treatment.
Category: Pain Assessment Skills
Question 20
A patient-controlled analgesia pump is appropriate for a patient who is confused and cannot reliably press the button.
Correct Answer
False
False. Patient-controlled analgesia is only for patients who are alert, oriented, and able to press the button themselves, because the patient's own control is what makes the system safe.
Category: Barriers and Safety