The Australian journal of advanced nursing : a quarterly publication of the Royal Australian Nursing Federation
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An acute postoperative pain service managed by the anaesthetic department of a metropolitan teaching hospital is described and the results of a quality assurance questionnaire survey of 116 nurses and 60 doctors are reported. Since its inception in 1990, the service has managed the postoperative pain of 1787 patients with patient controlled analgesia and epidural and other regional analgesia. The study found that 97% of nurses and 92% of doctors believed that patients whose pain is well managed have fewer postoperative complications and shorter hospital stays than patients whose pain is not well managed. Both nurses and doctors who had experienced the pain service supported the increased use of patient controlled analgesia pumps and neither group believed that the acute pain service interfered with their management of patients.
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A survey was conducted of the telephone callers who sought advice from the accident and emergency department of a 250 bed public hospital. The aim of the one month long survey was to determine the extent of the department's telephone triage and whether there was a need for formal protocols that reflected the medical and legal responsibilities attached to giving health-related advice by telephone. ⋯ Callers were advised by the registered nurses or doctors who happened to answer the telephone and there were no guidelines and no documentation of calls. As a result of the study, the Riverina Health Service instituted telephone triage protocols for all hospitals in its area and nurses now receive inservice education about their telephone triage role and responsibilities.