Nursing standard (Royal College of Nursing (Great Britain) : 1987)
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The prevention and treatment of post-operative pain, and the promotion of comfort are the challenges facing practitioners working in the recovery room setting. Surgical pain produces autonomic, psychological, immunological and behavioural responses that can delay or inhibit normal healing. Nurses spend more time with patients experiencing pain than any other healthcare professional. Therefore, they are in an ideal position to consider other pain-relieving strategies to complement the analgesics currently used. ⋯ The studies reviewed cannot prove that music is effective in reducing post-operative pain, because the research methodology in the majority is poor. Patients, experience of listening to music post-operatively was positive, aiding distraction and increasing comfort. This shows the difference between inconsistent results for the objective measures of pain and what the patient is reporting.
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The use of a triage system for patients attending A&E departments is an established practice. However, the use of such a system in assessment units is less formal and often left to individual clinical judgement. This article describes how the Manchester Triage System (MTS) was introduced, audited and adopted in a children's assessment unit (CAU) at the Royal Gwent Hospitals.