Pediatric nursing
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The purpose of this study was to describe nurses' perceptions of their practices in the assessment and management of pain in children. Questionnaires were distributed to 260 nurses in a pediatric hospital in the western United States. Results showed that nurses are not consistently assessing pain in children, and pain management practices are not based on systematic assessment. ⋯ Children experience a variety of painful procedures during hospitalization, but nurses reported that they are not consistently administering analgesics for painful procedures. Although rarely used, distraction and relaxation techniques were the most frequently reported nonpharmacological interventions. Although nurses did not feel that there were factors preventing them from assessing or managing pain in children, their practices revealed both that they are not using developmentally appropriate tools for assessing pain, and they have not maximized the use of management strategies for controlling pain.
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Unintentional injury is the leading cause of death and disability in children 14 years and under. The National SAFE KIDS Campaign, a nationwide organization aimed at education and prevention of unintentional injury, recently released its 10-year report that describes areas of success, areas in need of improvement, and goals for the future. The full 61-page report is worthy of reading and referencing for all those involved with children and their health care. Highlights of the report are summarized below.