Question

To assess the quality of Wrenda's pain, which question should the RN ask?

a) "What is your favorite pain relief method?"
b) "Can you describe your pain on a scale from 1 to 10?"
c) "How often do you experience pain?"
d) "Do you think your pain is severe?"

Answer 1

To effectively assess Wrenda's pain quality, asking her to describe the pain on a scale from 1 to 10 allows for an individualized and precise understanding necessary for optimal patient care and pain management.

Step-by-step explanation:

To accurately assess the quality of Wrenda's pain, the RN should ask a question that allows for a descriptive response rather than a simple numeric value or frequency of occurrence. In this case, the best option would be: d) "Can you describe your pain on a scale from 1 to 10?"

This question allows the patient to give a precise level of their pain using the Mosby pain rating scale, which is valuable for a healthcare provider to understand the patient's experience. The options given in the Mosby scale allow patients to account for the severity and subjective experience of pain, critical in personalized patient care.

When a patient describes their pain, it can give clues to the healthcare team about its nature, potential causes, and the effectiveness of pain management strategies. Symptom description, such as pain quality, is subjective and can be influenced by individual tolerance and perception.