Journal of nursing management
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Same-day surgeries are becoming routine for many surgical procedures. However, the degree to which patients need help with pain management at home following laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC), shoulder, or hand ambulatory day surgery has received minimal examination. This study examined pain and related interference, analgesic use and adverse events, complications and resources utilized, and adequacy of postdischarge information at four time periods. ⋯ Despite the considerable pain reported across all time periods, analgesic use and other interventions were minimal. Adverse events, which were problematic for some, may explain why patients stopped analgesics despite pain. These data support further research on more effective pain interventions and related education for day-surgery patients after discharge.
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The incidence of chronic pain amongst elderly people in nursing homes is very high, making pain in this population a serious problem for aged care facilities. Research studies reveal a pattern of poor pain management in this setting despite the high incidence of pain suggesting that the management of pain in nursing homes is limited in scope and only partially effective. What is not fully appreciated by health professionals is the impact pain has on the lives of elderly people who live in nursing homes. ⋯ The discussion focuses on some of the themes drawn from the study with an emphasis on a key theme 'being constantly pained'. The findings of the study highlight what it is like to experience pain and how this impacts on everyday lives of elderly people. The paper concludes with some suggestions for health professional for improving care in this area.
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It has long been acknowledged that pain is a subjective, multifaceted phenomenon which is influenced by many factors such as past experience and culture. However there are other symptoms that can be distressing such as dyspnea and nausea. In Ottawa, Canada there was recognition that inconsistencies existed in pain and symptom assessment methods and documentation in the different institutions and agencies when patients with cancer moved from one setting to another as their illness progressed. ⋯ Although various tools have been developed for pain assessment such as visual analogue or numeric rating scales, there has been limited attention focused on the sustainability of these tools in the practice setting. This paper will focus on the importance of the use of tools for pain and symptom management, issues around implementing them, and sustaining their use in the clinical setting. The Ottawa Pain and Symptom Assessment Record will be used as an exemplar.
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Comparative Study
Quality of care in postoperative pain management: what is realistic in clinical practice?
This paper presents a study describing nurses' assessment of whether it was realistic to carry out good quality of care in postoperative pain management. Further, the study compared their assessment with the quality of care actually performed in clinical practice as assessed by both patients and nurses. Three questionnaires were used; one for patients (n = 198) and two for nurses (n = 63). ⋯ The nurses also responded to questions concerning whether the different aspects of good quality of care were realistic to carry out in practice. The results show that in several important aspects of postoperative pain management, both patients and nurses assessed the quality of care to be lower than the nurses' assessment of what was actually possible to effectuate in clinical practice, e.g. pain assessment and information. This finding highlights the problem of applying evidence-based care in actual clinical practice.
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The aim was to describe postponements or complete cancellations of planned cardiac operations at a Swedish hospital during 1999 and the reception the patients received from the staff in connection with this, from the inpatient's perspective. ⋯ An understanding of the disappointment and anxiety felt by patients because of the postponement/cancellation of heart surgery can help medical staff to improve the situation. An intervention program is suggested that includes a pre-admission clinic, a change in the planning and waiting list system and support via follow-up telephone calls or internet-based support system.