Assessment of Pain
Assessment of pain http://www.nursingtimes.net/nursing-practice/clinical-specialisms/pain-management/assessment-of-pain/1861174.article
18 September, 2008 | By Sharon Wood
Assessment and diagnosis for succesful pain management
To provide optimal patient care, nurses require appropriate knowledge, skills and attitudes towards pain, pain assessment and its management. This must be based on the best available evidence to prevent patients from suffering harm (NMC, 2008 ). It is unacceptable for patients to experience unmanaged pain or for nurses to have inadequate knowledge about pain and a poor understanding of their professional accountability in this aspect of care (Dimond, 2002).
Pain - The fifth vital sign
Pain has been identified as the fifth vital signs by Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists and the Chronic pain Coalition in an attempt to facilitate accountability for pain assessment and management (Chronic Pain Policy Coalition, 2007; ANZCA, 2005).
Education
Pre-registration nursing programmes should incorporate pain as a compulsory component, to equip future nurses with the knowledge, skills and attitude to carry out appropriate pain assessment and management from the start of their professional careers. This could result in all patients receiving a higher standard of pain assessment and management in the future and reduce the incidence of unnecessary suffering (Wilson, 2007).
Why is assessment important?
Assessment of a patient’s experience of pain is a crucial component in providing effective pain management. A systematic process of pain assessment, measurement and re-assessment (re-evaluation), enhances the health care teams’ ability to achieve: * a reduced experience of pain; * increased comfort; * improved physiological, psychological and physical function; * increased satisfaction with pain management.
Pain is not a simple sensation that can be easily assessed and measured. Nurses should be aware of the many
18 September, 2008 | By Sharon Wood
Assessment and diagnosis for succesful pain management
To provide optimal patient care, nurses require appropriate knowledge, skills and attitudes towards pain, pain assessment and its management. This must be based on the best available evidence to prevent patients from suffering harm (NMC, 2008 ). It is unacceptable for patients to experience unmanaged pain or for nurses to have inadequate knowledge about pain and a poor understanding of their professional accountability in this aspect of care (Dimond, 2002).
Pain - The fifth vital sign
Pain has been identified as the fifth vital signs by Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists and the Chronic pain Coalition in an attempt to facilitate accountability for pain assessment and management (Chronic Pain Policy Coalition, 2007; ANZCA, 2005).
Education
Pre-registration nursing programmes should incorporate pain as a compulsory component, to equip future nurses with the knowledge, skills and attitude to carry out appropriate pain assessment and management from the start of their professional careers. This could result in all patients receiving a higher standard of pain assessment and management in the future and reduce the incidence of unnecessary suffering (Wilson, 2007).
Why is assessment important?
Assessment of a patient’s experience of pain is a crucial component in providing effective pain management. A systematic process of pain assessment, measurement and re-assessment (re-evaluation), enhances the health care teams’ ability to achieve: * a reduced experience of pain; * increased comfort; * improved physiological, psychological and physical function; * increased satisfaction with pain management.
Pain is not a simple sensation that can be easily assessed and measured. Nurses should be aware of the many
References: Bennett, M. (2001) The LANSS pain scale; the Leeds assessment of neuropathic symptoms and signs. Pain; 92: 1-2, 147-157. British Pain Society and British Geriatric Society, (2007) The Assessment of Pain in Older People - National Guidelines . Chronic Pain Policy Coalition (2007). A New Pain Manifesto. www.paincoalition.org.uk/ Dimond, B Hall-Lord, M.L., Larsson BW. (2006) Registered nurses’ and student nurses’ assessment of pain and distress related to specific patient and nurse characteristics. Nurse Education Today; 26: 5, 377-387. Jensen, T.S. et al. (2003) Clinical Pain Management: Chronic Pain. London: Arnold. McCaffery, M., Pasero, C. (1999) Pain: A Clinical Manual. St Louis, MO: Mosby. McCaffery, M.R. et al (2005) Pain management: cognitive restructuring as a model for teaching nursing students. NurseEducator; 30: 5, 226-230. Melzack, R., Katz, J. (1994). Pain measurement in persons in pain. In: Wall, P.D., Melzack, R. Textbook of Pain. London: Churchill Livingstone. Nursing and Midwifery Council (2008) The Code; Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics for Nurses and Midwives. London: NMC. Peter, E., Watt-Watson, J. (2002). Unrelieved pain: an ethical and epistemological analysis of distrust in patients. Canadian Journal of Research; 34: 2, 65-80. RoyalCollegeof Physicians, British Geriatrics Society, British Pain Society (2007) The Assessment of Pain in Older People; National Guidelines. Concise guidance on good practice series, No 8. London: RCP. Rowbotham, D.J., Macintyre, P.E. (2002) Clinical Pain Management: Acute Pain. London: Arnold. Watt-Watson, J.B. et al (2001). Relationship between nurses’ knowledge and pain management outcomes for their postoperative cardiac patients. Journal of Advanced Nursing; 36: 4, 535-545. Wilson, B. (2007) Nurses knowledge of pain. Journal of Clinical Nursing; 16: 6, 1012-1020.