Applying Theory to Practice - Essay Example

Experience has convinced me that my singular performance alone would not allow me to manage pain effectively. The policy makers and all the staff have to be convinced about the management plan. A team management of pain is now better accepted (Zalon et al, 2008). A comprehensive plan would be set up for systematic and uniform management of pain in the hospital. Care from initial assessment to planning for discharge would be incorporated. Competency of the staff would be ensured through continuing education.

All nurses would have laminated pocket cards with FACES scale and numerical scale for analyzing the pain by the scales (Bines & Paice, 2005). If the card showed an intensity of ‘four” on the scale, intervention was made. Including pain as another vital sign would produce awareness of the distress and decide whether it was time for intervention. A series of questions would be added to the inpatient and outpatient forms so that the features of the pain would be elicited (Bines & Paice, 2005).

Electronic devices would be in place for reminding the nurses about the time for reassessment of pain. Screening for pain and assessing its nature and intensity would be an essential step. Details of the pain and how it had affected the patient would be recorded. The patient would be needed to provide informed consent and participate in deciding the individual care plan for pain management. The pain would be assessed carefully and managed appropriately in order to uphold the patients’ rights (Bines & Paice, 2005).

The goals for relief of pain must be ascertained. Realistic and safe goals would be identified. The patient would be asked about the activities or functions that he would like to do or perform when he had no pain. Enquiring about the patient satisfaction would provide information and experience of the best techniques to manage pain in a similar situation later. Non-pharmacological management simultaneously would add to the satisfaction level (Hardy, 2011). The patient and the family would be given educative material to familiarize themselves with the plan.

This information would help them gain knowledge on the procedures adopted in my institution. They would be reassured about the competency of the staff which also included pain specialists (Bines & Paice, 2005). Their fears about whether staff would believe the patient and respond immediately would be dispelled. The patient’s fears about opioids would be carefully managed. Publishing the information on the internet would help the staff to download it for the patients. Pain-related information would be maintained at the Health Library in the hospital.

Computers would be available for patients and families to browse for the information (Bines & Paice, 2005). The pharmacological therapy with opioids or NSAIDs would be decided upon by the uniform recommendations of the hospital. The variation in dosage would be by variation of age of the patient, the type of wound, the intensity of pain, the hospital procedure done, the surgery performed and the underlying illnesses. Non-pharmacological adjuvants which could provide relaxing moments would include visual stimuli like photos or pictures or a television programme (Bines & Paice, 2