Nursing standard (Royal College of Nursing (Great Britain) : 1987)
-
A combination of pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions can ensure the highest standard of care in the management of pain in children. Nurses are in a prime position to care for children and educate them and their parents on effective pain management strategies.
-
Patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) via an infusion pump enables patients experiencing pain as a result of surgery, trauma or acute exacerbation of chronic conditions, to administer their own analgesia. Opioids are commonly used in the pumps because of their effectiveness and availability. ⋯ The article emphasises the importance of educating patients in PCA use to maintain safety. It is suggested that nurses must provide the same level of care to patients using PCA as patients receiving analgesia by other means.