Promoting Evidence-Based Practice and Dispelling Urban Legends to Achieve Safer Pain Management

TODAY, MANY NURSES in the perianesthesia setting help patients control their pain by administering pain medications prescribed by orders in which the analgesic medication is dosed according to pain intensity (either number or descriptive word). Many nurses find this practice challenging, particularly when patients are stirred and then report high numeric pain ratings, yet are noted to be somnolent. This practice of tying an analgesic dose to a pain intensity rating is relatively new, beginning early in the 21st century when a  movement started to eliminate as needed (prn) range orders.
Source: Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing - Category: Nursing Authors: Tags: Pain Care Source Type: research