nursing diagnosis for pain
nursing diagnosis for pain
According to Tawil’s 1998 study (1), the pain was a major reason for hospitalization, and it remains so today. One of the most common reasons patients visits their doctors is for pain. In addition, despite advancements in technology and treatments, many patients continue to receive inadequate care. Because of this, it is essential for nurses to possess the ability to not only assess pain but also manage it.
Additionally, here is a guide to creating the best pain management nursing care plan to assist you.
What is Pain?
There are two categories of pain. The cause, onset, and duration can help you tell one from the other.
Acute pain
Chronic pain
A patient must have been experiencing pain for at least six months in order for it to be considered chronic. It can be mild or extremely incapacitating in intensity. Chronic pain can sometimes make it hard for a person to do their daily activities, which usually leads to feelings of despair.
There are two subcategories of chronic pain: both benign and malignant
Malignant refers to the pain caused by cancer (3) and other diseases that progress. On the other hand, non-malignant chronic pain is pain that lasts longer than what is expected to heal.
The Nursing Care Plans
If you are taking care of a patient who is in pain, you need to be able to properly assess and manage his discomfort. You can use the following nursing care plans for pain management as a guide.
Acute Pain
May be related to
-Injuring agents (biological, chemical, physical, psychological)
Possibly evidenced by
-Patient’s report of pain
-Guarded and protective behavior
-Loss of appetite
-Inability to perform Activities of Daily Living
-Narrowed focus
-Autonomic responses
-Changes in muscle tone
-Expressive behavior (restlessness, crying, moaning)
-Facial mask of pain
-Sleep disturbance
Desired outcome
-Verbalizes pain relief methods
-Displays adequate diversional activities and relaxation skills -Reports pain management strategies reduce pain to a satisfactory degree -Reports capacity to get enough sleep and rest -Displays better vital signs and muscle tone
| Nursing Interventions | Rationale |
| Perform a comprehensive assessment. Assess the location, characteristics, onset, duration, frequency, quality, and severity of pain. | The first step in pain management is assessment. It helps make sure the patient gets good pain relief. |
| Observe for nonverbal indicators of pain: moaning, guarding, crying, and facial grimace. | There are some patients who may deny that there is pain. The evaluation of pain can benefit from these actions. |
| Accept the patient’s description of pain. | Pain is highly subjective. |
| Obtain vital signs. | When there is pain, most of the time it affects the vital signs (4). |
| Assess the client’s current use of medications. | Aids in planning and in obtaining medication history. |
| Anticipate the need for pain management. | Effective pain management relies heavily on prompt and prompt intervention. Even less analgesia may be required as a result. |
| Provide a quiet environment. | The patient’s perception of and tolerance for pain may be heightened by additional stressors. |
| Use nonpharmacological pain relief methods (relaxation exercises, breathing exercises, music therapy). | Works by expanding the arrival of endorphins, supporting the remedial impacts of relief from discomfort drugs. |
| Provide optimal pain relief by administering prescribed pain relief medication. | Different types of pain necessitate different methods of analgesia. Non-opioid painkillers may be effective for some, while low-dose opioids may be required for others. |
| Review patient’s medication records and flow sheet. | It contributes to the evaluation of pain management strategies’ efficacy. A higher dose may be required if the patient requires pain medications more frequently. |
| Document the patient’s response to pain management. | It aids in the evaluation of the pain management strategy by the entire healthcare team. |
Chronic pain
May be related to
-Chronic physical and psychological disability
-Injuring agents (biological, chemical, physical, psychological)
Possibly evidenced by
-Patient’s report of pain
-Changes in sleep pattern
-Changes in appetite
-Irritability, restlessness, depression
-Weight changes
-Atrophy of involved muscles
-Less interaction with people
-Sympathetically mediated responses
-Facial mask
-Guarding behavior
Desired outcome
-Verbalizes or demonstrates relief or control of pain
-Exhibits the application of both nonpharmacological and pharmacological methods for relieving pain-Shows the ability to engage in activities
-Shows the use of appropriate therapeutic interventions
| Nursing Interventions | Rationale |
| Conduct a comprehensive evaluation. Examine the pain’s location, characteristics, onset, duration, frequency, quality, and degree of severity. | The first step in pain management is assessment. It helps make sure the patient gets good pain relief. |
| Check current and past analgesic/narcotic drug use. | It helps obtain a medication history. |
| Review the patient’s expectation of pain relief. | It’s possible that pain may not be completely resolved but it can be lessened significantly. |
| Encourage the patient to use breathing techniques and positive affirmations. | This helps the patient achieve generalized relaxation which aids in reduced perception of pain. |
| Explore the patient’s need for medications from the three classes of analgesics: NSAIDS, opioids, and nonopioids. | Combinations of analgesics may enhance pain relief. |
| As much as possible, use tranquilizers, narcotics, and analgesics sparingly. | These drugs can make it harder to sleep and encourage addiction. |
| Encourage the use of nonpharmacological interventions (massage, guided imagery, breathing techniques). | They help reinforce pharmacological interventions. |
| Analyze the patient’s appetite, bowel movements, and capacity for sleep and rest. | Side effects should be monitored and managed accordingly. |
| Assess the efficacy of pain medications and, if necessary, request a reduction in dosage or an increase in frequency. | To get the best pain relief without causing severe side effects, medications should be changed. |
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