Which book is correct?

[2bRNot2b]

So Kaplan NCLEX-RN Strategies, Practice, and Review 2010-2011 says that pain is considered a psvchosocial problem in the NCLEX-RN, so you should eliminate that option in a question that has both physical and psychosocial interventions (using Maslow).

Lippincott's NCLEX- RN Q&A 2008 says that relieving pain and making the client comfortable should have the highest priority.

WHO IS RIGHT? and what is the point of studying if we have conflicting messages? AAARRRGGGHHH!!

Any advice?

[caliotter3]

There are controversies or disagreements on lots of areas. Unless you can find a definitive answer that makes sense to you, you have to decide which is the best answer to go with. Some people go with the latest published answer, others pick a more reliable, to them, resource.

[2126]

I would go with the latest published source since the NCLEX has been changed and I would hope this source would reflect that!!

[2bRNot2b]

I would go with the latest published source since the NCLEX has been changed and I would hope this source would reflect that!!

Hmmm, that makes sense! Thanks!

[2bRNot2b]

There are controversies or disagreements on lots of areas. Unless you can find a definitive answer that makes sense to you, you have to decide which is the best answer to go with. Some people go with the latest published answer, others pick a more reliable, to them, resource.

Why would pain be seen as a psychosocial issue, though? That doesn't make sense to me.

I would think that pain is extremely physiological, and if someone is in pain, short of the abc's, the rest could wait. Depends on the situation. Just trying to think this through.

[2bRNot2b]

So Kaplan NCLEX-RN Strategies, Practice, and Review 2010-2011 says that pain is considered a psvchosocial problem in the NCLEX-RN, so you should eliminate that option in a question that has both physical and psychosocial interventions (using Maslow).

Lippincott's NCLEX- RN Q&A 2008 says that relieving pain and making the client comfortable should have the highest priority.

WHO IS RIGHT? and what is the point of studying if we have conflicting messages? AAARRRGGGHHH!!

Any advice?

Another difference I noticed between these two books was that I understand Lippincott to say that you can't choose an option that needs a physician's order. Kaplan says to assume that there has been a physician's order for any option given. Because Kaplan is the later book, I am going to go with what they say, but that aspect could be a make-or-break on the exam. I would think that that point should be clarified by the NCLEX people in their instructions, otherwise it isn't really fair.

(Who said NCLEX was fair, right?)

[caliotter3]

I would not look upon pain as a psychosocial issue but I can see how someone might say that. They are probably going along the line of "pain is what the patient says it is"; some use pain complaints as a way to "up" their concerns or a way to get attention or to make vocal attempts at lessening their mental anguish at being sick or injured. This is just not how I would look upon it, because of the physiological basis of pain that I was taught in school. As I see it, if someone wants to embellish their pain or use it to gain more attention from caregivers, good for them, but that does not place pain out of the realm of the physical just because the patient does this. But this is my own opinion, I do not have a resource to cite. My point is that you have to come up with your own way of viewing these questions if you can not find a definitive source. Usually people do not have enough time to do an exhaustive search of all of these topics before testing.