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Impact of research on pediatric pain assessment and outcomes
K Boughton1, C Blower, C Chartrand
1University College of the Cariboo, Kamloops, BC, Canada.
Insights
Regular pain assessment in children did not significantly improve pain management or postoperative progress. However, the study highlighted gaps in pain relief interventions and underscored the need for enhanced pediatric nursing practices.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nursing
- Pain Management
- Clinical Research
Background:
- Ineffective pain management in children is a persistent issue in healthcare.
- Nursing staff engaged in a ward-based study to explore research methodologies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate if regular pain assessment improves pediatric pain management and postoperative outcomes.
- To assess the impact of a research-informed practice on nursing staff.
Main Methods:
- A prospective study involving 36 children (ages 5-17) using the Wong-Baker Faces Pain Rating Scale for pain assessment.
- Comparison with a retrospective chart review of 50 children in a control group.
- Outcomes measured included analgesic administration, pain reports, ambulation, and hospital stay.
Main Results:
- No statistically significant differences were found in pain management or postoperative progress between the intervention and control groups.
- A quarter of children received no pain relief despite prescribed analgesics.
- A quarter of children reported only partially effective pain control.
Conclusions:
- Study findings confirm existing literature on challenges in pediatric pain management, indicating a need for improved nursing practices.
- The research process enhanced nursing staff's awareness of pain management and improved ward morale.
- The study facilitated inter-agency resource sharing and staff development in research.
Purpose:
Pediatric nurses from varied practice and educational backgrounds learned about research by doing a ward-based study. The aim of the study was to determine if regular assessment of children's pain would improve their pain management and postoperative progress.
Method:
Children, ages 5 to 17 years (n = 36), measured their pain every 4 hours postoperatively using the Wong-Baker Faces Pain Rating Scale. Outcomes regarding amount of analgesic given, subjective pain reports, time and progress of ambulation, and length of hospital stay were compared with data from a retrospective chart-review of a control group (n = 50).
Findings:
No statistically significant differences in these variables were found. An important clinical finding was that despite all children having prescribed PRN analgesic orders, one quarter of the children received no pain relief intervention. Also, one quarter of the children stated that their pain control was only partially effective.
Conclusions:
Study results reinforce findings reported in the literature regarding ineffective pain management in children, and highlight a need for improved nursing practice. Clinical significance was achieved in terms of staff learning of the research process, increased awareness of pediatric pain management practices, improved ward morale, and inter-agency sharing of resources.