Standardization of pain management in the postanesthesia care unit

A project is described in which a standard in the Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) for managing patients with acute pain was implemented. The nurses' documentation and their perceptions concerning pain management were assessed. The data collected from the pre-questionnaires showed misconceptions about pain medication, lack of knowledge about measurement tools, and value systems that were inconsistent with recognizing a comfortable and safe "comfort level" of pain for patients. The pre-audit of PACU nursing documents showed that the assessment of pain was noted in terms of presence or absence but not quantified by the use of a measurement standard. After the implementation of a pain standard, results of the post-questionnaires showed changes in behaviors, attitudes, and knowledge that showed significant increases in the use of a numerical or visual pain tool, and an increase in documented evaluation of pain.