Nursing Process and Pain Management (7) Flashcards
what is McCaffrey’s classic definition of pain?
pain is whatever the experiencing person says it is, existing whenever he says it does
what does effective pain management do(5)?
1) improves quality of life
2) reduces physical discomfort
3) promotes earlier mobilization and return to baseline functional ability
4) results in fewer hospital and clinic visits
5) decreases hospital lengths of stay
These reduce healthcare costs
caring for patients in pain requires recognition that…
pain can and should be relieved
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) in conducting an extensive examination of pain as a public health problem. The results of the IOM study were released in the 2011 report, “Relieving Pain in America: A Blueprint for Transforming Prevention, Care, Education, and Research.” This report…
acknowledges the tragic epidemic of pain in the United States and calls for major coordinated efforts to develop safe effective preventive and management strategies.
what does The Joint Commission pain standard require?
requires healthcare providers to assess all patients for pain on a regular basis
When a smiling and cooperative patient complains of discomfort, nurses caring for this patient often harbor misconceptions about the patient’s pain. Which of the following is true?
A. Chronic pain is psychological in nature.
B. Patients are the best judges of their pain.
C. Regular use of narcotic analgesics leads to drug addiction.
D. Amount of pain is reflective of actual tissue damage.
B
A patient has just undergone an appendectomy. When discussing with the patient several pain-relief interventions, the most appropriate recommendation would be:
A. adjunctive therapy.
B. nonopioids.
C. NSAIDs.
D. PCA pain management.
D
A postoperative patient is using PCA. You will evaluate the effectiveness of the medication when:
A. you compare assessed pain w/baseline pain.
B. body language is incongruent with reports of pain relief.
C. family members report that pain has subsided.
D. vital signs have returned to baseline.
A
The nature of Pain(5):
* what components are involved?
* how is it perceived by people?
* what does pain reduce?
* how do you measure it?
* what can it lead to?
1) pain involves physical, emotional, and cognitive components
2) pain is subjective and individualized
3) pain reduces quality of life
4) pain is not measurable objectively
5) pain may lead to serious physical, psychological, social, and financial consequences
what are the four physiological processes of normal pain?
1) transduction
2) transmission
3) perception
4) modulation
describe the transduction of pain:
a pain-producing stimulus sends an impulse across a sensory peripheral pain nerve fiber (nociceptor), initiating an action potential.
describe the transmission of pain:
excitatory neurotransmitters transmit the pain signal across synaptic clefts, spreading the “pain message” and causing an inflammatory response. This pain message is transmitted to the cerebral cortex for analysis.
describe the perception of pain(3)
1) when pain stimulus reaches the cerebral cortex, the brain interprets the quality of the pain and processes information from past experience, knowledge, and cultural associations
2) Perception is the point at which the person is aware of pain
3) physiological and behavioral responses occur after perceiving pain.
how does the brain process pain?
1) somatosensory cortex - identifies the location and intensity of pain
2) association cortex (limbic system) - determines how a person feels about it
there is no single pain center
describe the modulation of pain:
once the pain perceives pain, there is a release of inhibitory neurotransmitters such as endorphins (endogenous opioids), serotonin, norepinephrine, and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), that hinder the transmission of pain and help produce an analgesic effect
- inhibits pain impulse and serves as a protective reflex
what do pain processes require physiologically?
an intact nervous system and spinal cord
describe the sympathetic nervous systems involvement in pain
as pain impulses travel up the spinal cord, the stress response stimulate the ANS sympathetic nervous system; fight or flight
describe the ANS parasympathetic nervous systems involvement in pain
continuous, severe, or deep pain typically involving visceral organs activates the parasympathetic nervous system
what occurs when someone experiences severe traumatic pain?
this often causes people to go into shock
describe the adaptation of pain
most people adapt to their pain reflexively and physical signs return to normal baseline; normal baseline is NOT the same for everyone
what happens with vital signs when people experience pain?
patients in pain do not always present changes in their vitals; changes in vitals often indicate problems other than pain
describe the behavioral responses associated with acute pain(4):
1) clenching teeth
2) facial grimacing
3) holding or guarding the painful area
4) a bent posture
be aware: not all patients show these responses when in pain
describe the behavioral responses associated with chronic pain(4):
chronic pain affects patients’:
1) activities (eating, sleeping, socialization)
2) thinking (confusion, forgetfulness)
3) emotions (anger, depression, irritability)
4) quality of life and productivity
people with a low pain tolerance are often perceived as…
complainers.. pff.. wimps
why should you teach patients the importance of reporting their pain sooner rather than later?
to facilitate better control and optimal functional status
what are the types of pain(5)?
1) acute/transient
2) chronic/persistent (noncancer)
3) chronic episodic
4) idiopathic
5) cancer pain
describe acute/transient pain
(definition and 2 points)
protective, identifiable, and with a short duration; limited emotional response
- can inhibit ability to become active and involved in self-care
- all focus is on pain relief which delays physical and psychological progress while pain persists
describe chronic/persistent pain (noncancer)
(definition and 2 points)
is not protective, has no purpose, and may or may not have an identifiable cause
- may be viewed as a disease since it has a distinct pathology that causes changes which may worsen over time.
- unknown cause of chronic pain frequently leads to psychological depression, and even suicide.
what is the goal of healthcare workers treating chronic pain?
improve functional status
describe cancer pain
(description and 1 point)
normal (nociceptive) pain, occuring due to abnormal or damaged pain nerves.
- A patient senses pain at the actual site of the tumor or distant to the site, called referred pain.
what is referred pain?
pain felt in an area distant to the site of tissue damage
describe chronic episodic pain
pain that occurs sporadically over an extended duration
describe idiopathic pain
chronic pain without an identifiable physical or psychological cause
when there is no obvious source of pain (e.g. low back pain etc…) healthcare providers sometimes do what?
stereotype pain sufferers as malingerers, complainers, or difficult patients
studies of nurses attitudes regarding pain management show what?
that a nurse’s personal opinion about a patient’s report of pain affects pain assessment and titration of opioid doses
what must a nurse accept regarding a patient’s report of pain?
a nurse must accept the patient’s report of pain and act according to professional guidelines, standards, position statements, policies and procedures, and evidence-based research findings
what are the physiological factors that influence pain(4)?
1) age
2) fatigue
3) genes
4) neurological function
what are some social factors that influence pain(4)?
1) attention
2) experiences
3) support
4) spirituality
what does fatigue do to the perception of pain?
fatigue increases the perception of pain and can cause problems with sleep and rest
describe the spirituality factor of pain influence
spirituality includes active searching for meaning in situations with questions such as “why am I suffering?”
how does age influence pain and pain management?
are-related changes and increased frailty can lead to:
1) a less predictable response to analgesic medications
2) increased sensitivity to medications
3) potential harmful drug effects
what does the presence of pain in an older adult require?
aggressive assessment, diagnosis, and management
how does genetic makeup influence pain?
genes may affect a person’s pain tolerance
describe the effect attention has on the perception of pain
Increased attention - associated with increased perception of pain
Decreased attention - associated with diminished pain response
what are the psychological factors that influence pain(2)?
1) anxiety
2) coping style
what are the cultural factors that influence pain(2)?
1) individual’s meaning of pain
2) ethnicity
describe how anxiety influences the perception of pain
anxiety often increases the perception of pain and the perception of pain causes anxiety
describe how coping style influences pain
pain is a lonely experience that often causes patients to feel a loss of control. coping style influences the ability to deal with the pain
describe the perception of pain people with internal loci of control have as opposed to those with external loci of control
internal loci of control - perceive themselves as having control over events in their life and the outcomes such as pain
external loci of control - perceive that other factors in their life, such as nurses, are responsible for the outcome of events
what does understanding the cultural meaning of pain help nurses to do?
helps them design culturally sensitive care for people with pain
successful critical thinking associated with pain requires aa synthesis of(5):
1) knowledge
2) experience
3) information gathered from patients
4) critical thinking attitudes
5) intellectual and professional standards
describe how knowledge factors into pain management:
knowledge of pain physiology and the many factors that influence pain will help you manage a patient’s pain