Week 4 Comfort & End of Life Flashcards
Which healthcare professional is solely responsible for the holistic care of the ct?
Nurses
A ct. has many HCP’s on their team, however, most are specialized. For example, a knee surgery physical focused therapist will work on the ct.’s leg movement of the knee in recovery. What is our job?
Get the entire person moving
—— is a complete state of ease and relief from distress. “We relieve suffering”
Comfort
—– is an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage
pain
What stimulates pain receptors in the brain?
nociceptors that respond to noxious stimuli
How might the pain of a woman experiencing painful menstruations (dysmenorrhea) be influenced by her past experiences?
If her family was celebratory of her first menstruation vs. bothered and sad for her.
Some were told to exercise, others were told to lay in bed with a warm pad and read a book.
How do our experiences influence pain perception?
Perceptions and past experiences can cause the interpretation of pain to be more positive or negative.
What proves that pain is somewhat psychological?
The fact that some people can distract themselves from pain
What are some examples of how we distract ourselves from pain?
-hold our pee when we want to do something
-we are so exhausted but are able to perk up and have a fun night out if we get a call from a distant friend who happens to be in town.
Who is the priority when it comes to nursing attending to patients?
A ct experiencing physiologic pain (likely acute), is priority over someone who is just having unknown pains
What is the goal when it comes to a ct. who is experiencing physiologic pain?
To find the source of the pain, so to treat the root cause.
—— is a holistic approach to addressing physical, emotional, social, and spiritual well-being to promote health
Nursing
According to the WHO, —– is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
Health
Whenever helping someone to manage pain, which theory of pain should I consider?
the Gate-Control Theory of Pain, using all the senses
How can I use the Gate-Control Theory of Pain through touch?
-effleurage or “light touch”
-integumentary stimulation “tapping”
-massage
How can I use site to utilize the Gate Control Theory of Pain?
-place a motivation picture on ct.’s ceiling: motivates them to heal; relaxes them; puts them in PNS
How to use taste in the Gate Control Theory of Pain.
Giving them foods they enjoy or prefer, that perhaps takes them back to a fond memory
How to use hearing in the Gate Control Theory of Pain?
Music- what puts them at peace?
Hypnosis
Guided meditations
What does it mean to be an advocate for a client and to “always make the correction”?
Speak up always if a pt. needs advocation. If the charge nurse is discussing one pt., but has mixed up the pt’s name with another, correct her.
What are the main types of pain?
neuropathic, nociceptive, psychogenic, acute, and chronic
What are the types of pain categorized under Nociceptive pain?
-somatic
-visceral
—— is pain when nerves from tissues, bones, skin, muscle, and blood vessels are activated
somatic nociceptive pain
Examples of somatic nociceptive pain:
-arthritis
-surgical pain
-burn pain
——- pain involves internal organs or body cavity linings
visceral nociceptive pain
Example of visceral nociceptive pain?
-heart (heart attack)
-lungs
-abdomen
-liver
-pancreas
-appendix
-gallbladder
——- is pain that is used to describe pain for which no pathologic condition has been found, or in which the pain appears to have a greater psychologic basis than a physical.
psychogenic pain
Examples of psychogenic pain:
COVID
Being a labor alone
What are the classifications of pain categorized under neuropathic pain?
-centrally generated
-peripherally generated
-mixed
—— —— pain involves the spinal cord, peripheral nerve injury (phantom pain), and pain following a CVA
neuropathic centrally generated pain
—– —— pain is pain associated with neuropathies, neuralgia, trigeminal nerve pain (facial pain), Guillain Barre Syndrome
neuropathic peripherally generated pain
—— ——– is pain that can be associated with headaches, some neck/ shoulder/ back pain, and fibromyalgia
neuropathic mixed pain
—- —– is defined by messages from a limb that is gone but is still sent up the nerves to the spinal chord
phantom pain or “peripheral nerve injury”
Neuropathies feel like
walking on pins and needles
neuralgia feels like
electric or burning pain
When someone expresses “I don’t think I’m going to live much longer.” How can I respond?
“Tell me what makes you think that?”
“We all will have our time, and the truth is, we may not know when it’s our time, even when we think we do. What are some important things in your life that you want to focus on with the time of life you do have?”
What is the hope when treating acute pain?
If we treat it well, it hopefully will not turn into chronic pain. Inadequate treatment can turn into chronic pain.
What is sometimes referred to as the fifth vital sign?
pain assessment
What is the most common reason for seeking healthcare?
pain
Pain is highly —— and a reflection of ——- ———.
personalized; past experiences
—— pain is tiring and may cause decreased coping skills in other areas of life.
Chronic
What should be assessed EVERY time I go into a room?
Pain
When should I reassess a ct. who has received a pain medication?
30 minutes- reassess and document (they can sue if not reassessed).
What are some objective examples of how I can assess the pain of a ct.?
-elevated pulse/ resp.
-ct. agitated/ teary/ emotional/ quiet
-ct. guarding/ wincing/ moving very slow
OPQRT is what?
questions to ask when performing a pain assessment
What does O stand for in OPQRT?
onset: when did the pain start? What was happening at the time?
What does P stand for in OPQRT?
Provocation/palliation: What makes the pain better or worse?
What does Q stand for in OPQRT
Quality: What does the pain feel like? Sharp, dull, burning, aching, throbbing
What does R stand for in OPQRT
Region and radiation: Where is the pain? Does it spread to other areas?