Journal of intravenous nursing : the official publication of the Intravenous Nurses Society
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Patients who do not report pain and healthcare providers who fail to assess for pain are major barriers to the relief of pain. Using pain as the fifth vital sign and being knowledgeable about pain assessment and management can help nurses and other healthcare providers overcome many of the barriers to successful pain control. A successful pain control plan includes establishing the pain diagnosis, treating the cause of the pain when possible, optimizing analgesic use, implementing nonpharmacological interventions to maximize physical and psychological comfort and function, and referring the patient for invasive pain management options when indicated.
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The frequency of vascular access device (VAD) complications increases with the complexity of therapy or poor catheter maintenance. Catheter occlusions are most frequently caused by inadequate catheter flushing or technique. ⋯ The incidence of catheter patency loss was reduced by 50%. The nurses also reported considerable timesaving in catheter maintenance and patient education and an overwhelmingly positive response from staff and patients.