How many faces are there in Wong-Baker facial pain rating scale?

Appeared in: Combined AIIMS - 2020 (Jodhpur, Bhopal, Patna, Raipur)

Explanation

The Wong-Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale is a self-assessment tool that uses a series of six cartoon faces to measure pain intensity.
It is designed for use in patients aged 3 years and older, including adults who have difficulty communicating their pain verbally.
The six faces represent increasing levels of pain, corresponding to a 0-10 rating scale.
The faces range from a happy face for 'No Hurt' (score 0) to a crying face for 'Hurts Worst' (score 10).

Option A: This is an incorrect count. The standard Wong-Baker scale does not have 8 faces.
Option C: This is a common misconception. While the scale's highest score is 10, there are only 6 faces used to represent the different levels of pain.
Option D: This is an incorrect count. The scale has one more face than this to represent the full range of pain expressions.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Pain Assessment using Wong-Baker FACES Scale as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
The Wong-Baker scale is invaluable in pediatric nursing, as children can often point to a face more easily than describing their pain with words.
It is also crucial for assessing pain in non-verbal adults, patients with cognitive impairments, or those with language barriers, ensuring their pain is not overlooked or undertreated.
Nurses must use the exact script provided with the scale ('Point to each face...') to ensure validity and consistency in pain assessment across different providers.

How to Approach the Question

Identify the question as a factual recall question that is supported by a visual aid (the image of the scale).
Carefully examine the provided image to identify the specific tool being shown, which is the Wong-Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale.
Count the number of distinct faces depicted on the scale in the image.
You will count six faces, ranging from a smile to a crying expression.
Compare your count with the given options and select the one that matches.
Be careful not to confuse the number of faces (6) with the maximum score on the scale (10), as this is a common distractor.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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E6 Nursing Fundamentals Potter Perry 12e Part 5 p. 147-149

E6 Nursing Fundamentals Taylor p. 234-236

Practise the full Combined AIIMS - 2020 (Jodhpur, Bhopal, Patna, Raipur)

Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.