Control of your patient's pain is one of the most important nursing services you can provide. Sometimes a simple acknowledgment of pain can calm your patient and open the doors to more effective pain control. Your knowledge of pain control methods can be the support a patient needs to deal with a difficult situation.
There are two kinds of pain, and each should be handled differently:
How do you know where to begin? Using the "Locate" trick can help. When trying to determine the necessary pain control, ask the following questions:
The options for pain control are wide and varied, and taking the time to understand them all is good nursing procedure. Fortunately, the days of doctors telling patients "you just have to live with it" are over.
Pain control is more than a pill or injection. Several minor actions can make a big difference. A simple offering, such as a heating pad or an extra pillow, can go a long way toward comfort. If the patient knows you care and believes you are working toward a pain control solution, they might be better able to tolerate what they are dealing with at the moment. Most importantly, always keep the lines of communication open.
Still nervous about providing the proper pain control for your patients? The American Society of Pain Management Nurses can offer information that perhaps you didn't learn in nursing school. Don't hesitate to talk to other nurses about your concerns, and if you feel the need to brush up even further on pain control techniques, consider taking relevant courses through an online nursing degree program.
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