Saturday, July 22, 2006

Pain Assessment in the Non-verbal Patient Position Statement with Clinical Practice Recommendations

American Society of Pain Management Nurses

Summary: Individuals who are unable to communicate their discomfort are at greater risk for inadequate analgesia. This position paper describes the severity of this issue, defines populations at risk and offers strategies, tools, and resources for appropriate pain assessment. Nurses have a moral, ethical, and professional obligation to advocate for all individuals in their care. Just like all other patients, these special populations require consistent, ongoing assessment, appropriate treatment, and evaluation of interventions to insure the best possible pain relief. Clinicians are encouraged to monitor current research regarding new developments in strategies and tools for assessing pain in these populations.  
http://www.aspmn.org/Organization/documents/PainAssessmentintheNon-VerbalPatientFINAL.pdf

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