Deakin University
Browse

File(s) under permanent embargo

Pain assessment in critical care: what have we learnt from research

journal contribution
posted on 2003-06-01, 00:00 authored by K Shannon, Tracey BucknallTracey Bucknall
Despite an ongoing acknowledgement in the literature that pain is a significant problem within the critical care environment, this issue has not been adequately addressed by critical care nurses. This paper examines strategies for changing pain management practices in critical care, including reviewing documentation practices, the utilisation of guidelines and algorithms to augment clinical decision making, and increasing educational opportunities available to critical care nurses. It is recommended that pain assessment be given a higher priority within the clinical context, particularly as inadequate pain assessment and management has been linked to increased morbidity and mortality within critical care. Importantly, critical care nurses need to not only be aware of research-based pain management practices, but also lead the way in implementation and continuous evaluation as a measure of decreasing patient pain in the future.


History

Journal

Intensive and critical care nursing

Volume

19

Issue

3

Pagination

154 - 162

Publisher

Churchill Livingstone

Location

Edinburgh, Scotland

ISSN

0964-3397

eISSN

1532-4036

Language

eng

Publication classification

C1.1 Refereed article in a scholarly journal

Copyright notice

2003, Elsevier Science Ltd.

Usage metrics

    Research Publications

    Categories

    No categories selected

    Exports

    RefWorks
    BibTeX
    Ref. manager
    Endnote
    DataCite
    NLM
    DC