Adult patients' perceptions of pain management at triage: a small exploratory study

Research studies reveal that pain management in Accident and Emergency (A&E) is often sub-optimal. The administration of simple oral analgesics at triage in a large teaching hospital provided the rationale to explore pain management in A&E from the patient's perspective in a small-scale exploratory study using a broadly qualitative approach. Structured interviews using open-ended questions and lasting no longer than 20 minutes explored patients' experiences and opinions of pain assessment, and pain management at triage. A sample of convenience produced a group of 65 patients from which 18 patients; 9 males and 9 females participated. Analysis of the data revealed that 16 patients presented in pain. Triage nurses trained to administer analgesics were available for 7 patients; 2 patients received analgesia. Six patients did not receive a pain assessment and in 3 cases the triage nurse was trained to administer analgesia. Sixteen patients considered pain management at triage to be important. The study reinforces the subjective and complex nature of pain, raises pragmatic questions regarding triage, the need for sustained education and training with any advance in nursing practice and further research regarding patients' perceptions of pain management in A&E.