Pain management nursing : official journal of the American Society of Pain Management Nurses
-
Patients seeking emergency care for abdominal pain still experience poor pain management. Pain intensity is not always seen as a mandatory parameter in the initial nurse assessment. Despite the development of nurse-initiated analgesic protocols, many patients do not receive analgesics in the emergency department. ⋯ Nurses in emergency departments play a crucial role, in that their initial assessment is of specific importance for the patient's further care and whether the patient may or may not receive analgesics. However, more attention has to be paid to patients' experiences and their expectations regarding the pain management in the emergency department. These complex questions have to be studied further in a more systematic way.
-
Many individuals suffering from arthritis and other rheumatic diseases (AORD) supplement pharmacologic treatments with psychosocial interventions. One promising approach, guided imagery, has been reported to have positive results in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and is a highly scalable treatment for those with AORD. The main purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review of RCTs that have examined the effects of guided imagery on pain, function, and other outcomes such as anxiety, depression, and quality of life in adults with AORD. ⋯ All studies reported statistically significant improvements in the observed outcomes. Guided imagery appears to be beneficial for adults with AORD. Future theory-based studies with cost-benefit analyses are warranted.
-
Research supports using nonverbal pain behaviors to identify pain in persons with dementia. It is unknown whether variations exist among ethnic groups in the expression of nonverbal pain behaviors in this special population. The purpose of this descriptive study was to examine ethnic differences in the presentation and intensity of nonverbal pain behaviors among African American, Caucasian, and Hispanic older adults with dementia when screened for pain by certified nursing assistants. ⋯ No significant differences were noted across ethnic groups with regards to overall pain intensity. These findings are the first to examine ethnic differences in nonverbal pain behaviors for older adults with dementia. However, future work should examine assessment tendencies of providers in a larger, more diverse sample.
-
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Effects of Open and Closed Suctioning Systems on Pain in Newborns Treated with Mechanical Ventilation.
This experimental study was conducted to compare the effects of open and closed suctioning systems on pain in newborns receiving ventilation support. The study sample consisted of 42 babies (23 female, 16 male) hospitalized in the unit between December 2010 and December 2011 who met the selection criteria established for the study. Using the random sampling method, 20 of the babies were included in the closed suctioning system group and the remaining 22 were analyzed in the open suctioning system group. ⋯ Results of the study revealed no statistically significant difference between the open suctioning and closed suctioning groups (p = .194). However, the N-PASS pain scores obtained before and during the suctioning processes were significantly different (p < .001). In conclusion, babies seem to experience pain during the suctioning process, according to N-PASS scores, and although not significant statistically, the level of pain felt during open suctioning was observed to be slightly higher compared with closed suctioning.
-
Despite evidence that many nursing home residents' pain is poorly managed, reasons for this poor management remain unanswered. The aim of this study was to determine if specific order sets related to pain assessment would improve pain management in nursing home (NH) residents. Outcomes included observed nurse pain assessment queries and resident reports of pain. ⋯ The proportion of residents who reported pain also significantly increased in response to increased nurse queries (e.g., "Do you have any pain right now?"), which underscores the importance of nurses directly asking residents about pain. Notably 70% of this long-stay NH population only told the nurses about their pain symptoms when asked directly. Findings uncover that using specific pain order sets seems to improve the detection of pain, which should be a routine part of nursing assessment.