Event Title
Pain Reassessment and Documentation in the Emergency Department
Location
Hager-Lubbers Exhibition Hall
Description
PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND: Inadequate management of pain for patients in the emergency department (ED) is a significant problem resulting in decreased patient satisfaction as well as poorer patient outcomes. For proper pain management, interventions must be done and then reassessed, including the patients’ pain perception, in a timely manner. In a local hospital ED, pain management was identified as a significant problem as evidenced by poor documentation of reassessment of pain in 80% of patients after initial intervention. The purpose of this project was to assess the environmental, educational and process barriers to pain reassessment and documentation in order to create a protocol to improve pain reassessment documentation in the emergency department that would result in better nursing management of pain. LITERATURE REVIEW: Literature supports the importance of consistent and frequent reassessment of pain as a crucial step in pain management. Evidence has also shown that providing education on pain management for nurses, along with individual feedback on performance, can be effective in improving pain reassessment. In addition, literature suggests patient satisfaction with pain management is improved with reassessments. PROTOCOL/INTERVENTION: The pain documentation process will be clarified and nurses will be educated as to the required documentation for pain reassessments. The possibility of simplifying the documentation process will be addressed to facilitate improved documentation, including addition of visual clues, for nursing to complete the pain reassessment. OUTCOMES: Improved patient satisfaction with pain management and increased completion of pain reassessment by staff, as well as decreased pain scores on discharge from the emergency department, will be targeted to improve with this protocol.
Pain Reassessment and Documentation in the Emergency Department
Hager-Lubbers Exhibition Hall
PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND: Inadequate management of pain for patients in the emergency department (ED) is a significant problem resulting in decreased patient satisfaction as well as poorer patient outcomes. For proper pain management, interventions must be done and then reassessed, including the patients’ pain perception, in a timely manner. In a local hospital ED, pain management was identified as a significant problem as evidenced by poor documentation of reassessment of pain in 80% of patients after initial intervention. The purpose of this project was to assess the environmental, educational and process barriers to pain reassessment and documentation in order to create a protocol to improve pain reassessment documentation in the emergency department that would result in better nursing management of pain. LITERATURE REVIEW: Literature supports the importance of consistent and frequent reassessment of pain as a crucial step in pain management. Evidence has also shown that providing education on pain management for nurses, along with individual feedback on performance, can be effective in improving pain reassessment. In addition, literature suggests patient satisfaction with pain management is improved with reassessments. PROTOCOL/INTERVENTION: The pain documentation process will be clarified and nurses will be educated as to the required documentation for pain reassessments. The possibility of simplifying the documentation process will be addressed to facilitate improved documentation, including addition of visual clues, for nursing to complete the pain reassessment. OUTCOMES: Improved patient satisfaction with pain management and increased completion of pain reassessment by staff, as well as decreased pain scores on discharge from the emergency department, will be targeted to improve with this protocol.