Why is effective pain management important?

05 October, 2015

Pain is a personal experience but may be difficult to communicate. It is vital that nurses know how best to assess it to ensure the optimal treatment is given Abstract Pain affects patients physically and emotionally, so successfully managing the pain they experience is a key component of their recovery. This third article in a series on pain looks at why it is important to assess pain in adults and how this can best be done. The causes and symptoms of chronic and acute pain are detailed, along with the different assessment tools that can be used and for which patients they are suitable. Citation: Swift A (2015) Pain management 3: the importance of assessing pain in adults. Nursing Times; 11: 41, 12-17. Author: Amelia Swift is senior lecturer in nursing at the University of Birmingham. This article has been double-blind peer reviewed Scroll down to read the article or download a print-friendly PDF here Click here to see other articles in this series

To continue reading this clinical article please log in or subscribe.

Already have an account, click here to sign in

1. Woo A, Lechner B, Fu T, Wong CS, Chiu N, Lam H, et al. Cut points for mild, moderate, and severe pain among cancer and non-cancer patients: a literature review. Annals of Palliative Medicine. 2015;4(4):176–83.

   PubMed  Google Scholar 

2. Ribeiro SBF, Pinto JCP, Ribeiro JB, Felix MMS, Barroso SM, Oliveira LF, et al. Pain management at inpatient wards of a university hospital. Rev Bras Anestesiol. 2012;62(5):605–11.

   Article  Google Scholar 

3. Wang W-Y, Ho S-T, Wu S-L, Chu C-M, Sung C-S, Wang K-Y, et al. Trends in Clinically significant pain prevalence among hospitalized cancer patients at an academic hospital in Taiwan: A retrospective cohort study. Medicine. 2016;95(1):e2099.

   Article  Google Scholar 

4. Alaloul F, William K, Meyers J, Jones K, Logsdon MC. Impact of a script-based communication intervention on patient satisfaction with pain management. Pain Manag Nurs. 2015;16(3):321–7.

   Article  Google Scholar 

5. Institute of Medicine (IOM). Relieving Pain in America: A Blueprint for Transforming Prevention, Care, Education, and Research;2011.

   Google Scholar 

6. Human Right Watch (HRW). Global State of Pain Treatment;2011.

   Google Scholar 

7. Borys M, Zyzak K, Hanych A, Domagał M, Gałkin P, Gałaszkiewicz K, et al. Survey of postoperative pain control in different types of hospitals: a multicenter observational study. BMC Anesthesiol. 2018;18:83. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12871-018-0551-3.

   Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

8. Gordon DB, Dahl JL, Miaskowski C, McCarberg B, Todd KH, Paice JA, et al. American pain society recommendations for improving the quality of acute and cancer pain management: American pain society quality of care task force. Arch Intern Med. 2005;165(14):1574–80.

   Article  Google Scholar 

9. The Ethiopian Public Health Association (EPHA). Baseline evaluation of pain management practices and teaching in health facilities and health training schools in Ethiopia;2011.

   Google Scholar 

10. Woldehaimanot TE, Eshetie TC, Kerie MW. Postoperative Pain Management among Surgically Treated Patients in an Ethiopian Hospital. PLoS One. 2014;9(7).

    Article  Google Scholar 

11. Ethiopia’s Federal Ministry of Health. Pain management guideline;2007.

    Google Scholar 

12. Tomaszek L, Dębska G. Knowledge, compliance with good clinical practices and barriers to effective control of postoperative pain among nurses from hospitals with and without a “hospital without pain” certificate. J Clin Nurs. 2018;27(7–8):1641–52.

    Article  Google Scholar 

13. Mędrzycka-Dąbrowska WA, Dąbrowski S, Basiński A, Pilch D. Perception of barriers to postoperative pain management in elderly patients in polish hospitals with and without a “hospital without pain” certificate - a multi-center study. Arch Med Sci. 2016;12(4):808–18.

    Article  Google Scholar 

14. Strohbuecker B, Mayer H, Evers GC, Sabatowski R. Pain prevalence in hospitalized patients in a German university teaching hospital. J Pain Symptom Manag. 2005;29(5):498–506.

    Article  Google Scholar 

15. Gianni W, Madaio R, Di Cioccio L, D’Amico F, Policicchio D, Postacchini D, et al. Prevalence of pain in elderly hospitalized patients. Arch Gerontol Geriatr. 2010;51(3):273–6.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

16. Witkop M, Lambing A, Fritz R. Prevalence of pain. National Hemophilia Foundation. Nursing Working Group. Nurses’ Guide to Bleeding Disorders. 2012. p.1–35.

17. Zhang C-H, Hsu L, Zou B-R, Li J-F, Wang H-Y, Huang J. Effects of a pain education program on nurses’ pain knowledge, attitudes and pain assessment practices in China. J Pain Symptom Manag. 2008;36(6):616–27.

    Article  Google Scholar 

18. Simpson K, Kautzman L, Dodd S. The effects of a pain management education program on the knowledge level and attitudes of clinical staff. Pain Manag Nurs. 2002;3(3):87–93.

    Article  Google Scholar 

19. de Rond ME, de Wit R, van Dam FS, van Campen BTM, den Hartog YM, Klievink RM. A pain monitoring program for nurses: effects on nurses’pain knowledge and attitude. J Pain Symptom Manag. 2000;19(6):457–67.

    Article  Google Scholar 

20. Abdalrahim MS, Majali SA, Stomberg MW, Bergbom I. The effect of postoperative pain management program on improving nurses’ knowledge and attitudes toward pain. Nurse Educ Pract. 2011;11(4):250–5.

    Article  Google Scholar 

21. Selbst SM, Clark M. Analgesic use in the emergency department. Ann Emerg Med. 1990;19(9):1010–3.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

22. Leslie A, Marlow N. Non-pharmacological pain relief. Semin Fetal Neonatal Med; Elsevier. 2006;11(4):246–50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.siny.2006.02.005.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

23. Budh CN, Lundeberg T. Non-pharmacological pain-relieving therapies in individuals with spinal cord injury: a patient perspective. Complement Ther Med. 2004;12(4):189–97.

    Article  Google Scholar 

24. Wells-Federman C, Arnstein P, Caudill M. Nurse-led pain management program: effect on self-efficacy, pain intensity, pain-related disability, and depressive symptoms in chronic pain patients. Pain Manag Nurs. 2002;3(4):131–40.

    Article  Google Scholar 

25. Germossa GN, Sjetne IS, Hellesø R. The Impact of an In-service Educational Program on Nurses’ Knowledge and Attitudes Regarding Pain Management in an Ethiopian University Hospital. Front Public Health. 2018;20(6):229.

    Article  Google Scholar 

26. World Health Organization (WHO). WHO Normative Guidelines on Pain Management. Geneva: Report; 2007.

27. World Health Organization (WHO). WHO guidelines on the pharmacological treatment of persisting pain in children with medical illnesses;2012.

    Google Scholar 

28. Hutchings M. Caring around the clock: rounding in practice. Nurs Times. 2012;108(49):12–4.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

29. Hanley MA, Masedo A, Jensen MP, Cardenas D, Turner JA. Pain interference in persons with spinal cord injury: classification of mild, moderate, and severe pain. J Pain. 2006;7(2):129–33.4.

    Article  Google Scholar 

30. Keller S, Bann CM, Dodd SL, Schein J, Mendoza TR, Cleeland CS. Validity of the brief pain inventory for use in documenting the outcomes of patients with noncancer pain. Clin J Pain. 2004;20(5):309–18.

    Article  Google Scholar 

31. Gordon DB, Polomano RC, Pellino TA, Turk DC, McCracken LM, Sherwood G, et al. Revised American pain society patient outcome questionnaire (APS-POQ-R) for quality improvement of pain management in hospitalized adults: preliminary psychometric evaluation. J Pain. 2010;11(11):1172–86.

    Article  Google Scholar 

32. Beatty PC, Willis GB. Research synthesis: the practice of cognitive interviewing. Public Opin Q. 2007;71(2):287–311.

    Article  Google Scholar 

33. Woldehaimanot TE, Saketa YJ, Mulatu A, Zeleke HA, Woldeyohanes TR. Pain knowledge and attitude: a survey among nurses in 23 health institutions in Western Ethiopia. Gazi Med J. 2014;20(3):254–60.

    Article  Google Scholar 

34. Sepúlveda C, Marlin A, Yoshida T, Ullrich A. Palliative care: the World Health Organization's global perspective. J Pain Symptom Manag. 2002;24(2):91–6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

35. Berry PH, Dahl JL. The new joint commission on accreditation of healthcare organization (JCAHO) pain standards: implications for pain management nurses. Pain Manag Nurs. 2000;1(1):3–12.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

36. Wells N. Pain intensity and pain interference in hospitalized patients with cancer (abstract). Oncology Nursing Forum; 2000.

    Google Scholar 

37. Max MB, Donovan M, Miaskowski CA, Ward SE, Gordon D, Bookbinder M, et al. Quality improvement guidelines for the treatment of acute pain and cancer pain. Jama. 1995;274(23):1874–80.

    Article  Google Scholar 

38. Whelan CT, Jin L, Meltzer D. Pain and satisfaction with pain control in hospitalized medical patients: no such thing as low risk. Arch Intern Med. 2004;164(2):175–80.

    Article  Google Scholar 

39. Richards DA. The complex interventions framework. In: Richards DA, Hallberg IR. (Eds.). Complex interventions in health. An overview of research methods. 1st ed. London: Routledge; 2015.

Page 2

1. a Critical value when proportions were compared using WINPEPI, using a comparison of two independent samples