Certified Medical-Surgical Registered Nurse Practice Test

The nurse is assessing pain in a patient with appendicitis. Which initial statement or question will be most effective in eliciting information?

1. "Point to where you're feeling pain."

2. "Coughing makes your pain worse, doesn't it?"

3. "Tell me how you feel."

4. "Does your pain medication relieve your pain?"

The correct answer is: "Tell me how you feel."

The most effective initial statement or question for eliciting information about pain from a patient with appendicitis is "Tell me how you feel." By using an open-ended question like this, the nurse allows the patient to freely share their experience with pain and provide important details that may help narrow down the diagnosis and guide further assessment and treatment. Asking the patient to describe their pain in their own words can offer valuable insights that may not be captured by more specific or closed questions.