a report of pain that is whatever the patient says it is.

Margo McCaffery

, a highly recognized nurse and pioneer pain educator, defined pain as “…whatever the experiencing person says it is, existing whenever he/she says it does.” In other words, pain is personal. You, the person experiencing it, define it and translate it. A report from the patient is the single most reliable indicator of pain.

Full Answer

How should a patient's statement describe their pain?

A patient's statement, “I have pain,” is not descriptive enough to inform a health care professional about pain type. Asking patients to describe their pain using words will guide clinicians to the appropriate interventions for specific pain types. Patients may have more than 1 type of pain. The following questions should be asked of patients:

Is pain whatever the experiencing person says it is?

that pain is whatever the experiencing person says it is. reports or follow their own internal perception. Given that at worse ways to assess patient pain is warranted. present investigation. Specific ally, implications for applyin g as implications for palliative care, are discussed. Then, recom-

What is pain and how is it determined?

Pain is a subjective experience, and self-report of pain is the most reliable indicator of a patient’s experience. Determining pain is an important component of a physical assessment, and pain is sometimes referred to as the “fifth vital sign.”

Why do patients feel uncomfortable talking about their pain severity?

Earlier work found that patients may feel uncomfortable to verbalize their pain severity to health-care providers due to the lack of communication and common language (Butow & Sharpe, 2013; Miller, Eldredge, & Dalton, 2017). This is a vital issue, hence some patients in this study have linked bad pain-to-severe diagnoses such as cancer. ... ...

What does the pain say the patient is?

“Pain is whatever the experiencing person says it is, existing whenever the experiencing person says it does” (McCaffery, 1989)

How do you document a patient in pain?

Six Tips to Documenting Patient PainTip 1: Document the SEVERITY level of pain. ... Tip 2: Document what causes VARIABILITY of pain. ... Tip 3: Document the MOVEMENTS of the patient at pain onset. ... Tip 4: Document the LOCATION of pain. ... Tip 5: Document the TIME of pain onset. ... Tip 6: Document your EVALUATION of the pain site.More items...•

How do I document a pain assessment for nursing?

Nurses can help patients more accurately report their pain by using these very specific PQRST assessment questions:P = Provocation/Palliation. What were you doing when the pain started? ... Q = Quality/Quantity. What does it feel like? ... R = Region/Radiation. ... S = Severity Scale. ... T = Timing. ... Documentation.

What is McCaffery's definition of pain?

Margo McCaffery, a highly recognized nurse and pioneer pain educator, defined pain as “… whatever the experiencing person says it is, existing whenever he/she says it does.”[ 2] In other words, pain is personal. You, the person experiencing it, define it and translate it.

How do you describe pain?

If you have raw-feeling pain, your skin may seem extremely sore or tender. Sharp: When you feel a sudden, intense spike of pain, that qualifies as “sharp.” Sharp pain may also fit the descriptors cutting and shooting. Stabbing: Like sharp pain, stabbing pain occurs suddenly and intensely.

How do you write a pain scale?

Using the Pain ScaleIf you want your pain to be taken seriously, ... 0 – Pain Free.1 – Pain is very mild, barely noticeable. ... 2 – Minor pain. ... 3 – Pain is noticeable and distracting, however, you can get used to it and adapt.4 – Moderate pain. ... 5 – Moderately strong pain.More items...

How is pain measured clinically?

Visual analogue scales, numerical rating scales, and verbal rating scales are considered valid to assess pain intensity in clinical trials and in other types of studies.

Why is pain assessment included in patient assessment?

Purpose of pain assessment Detect and describe pain to help in the diagnostic process; Understand the cause of the pain to help determine the best treatment; Monitor the pain to determine whether the underlying disease or disorder is improving or deteriorating, and whether the pain treatment is working.

Which of the following needs to be included when documenting a pain assessment?

Comprehensive pain assessment also includes pain history, pain intensity, quality of pain, and location of pain. For each pain location, the pattern of pain radiation should be assessed (NCI, 2016). A review of the patient's current pain management plan and how he or she has responded to treatment is important.

What is Pqrst pain assessment?

The mnemonic device PQRST offers one way to recall assessment:P. stands for palliative or precipitating factors, Q for quality of pain, R for region or radiation of pain, S for subjective descriptions of pain, and T for temporal nature of pain (the time the pain occurs).

What is an example of nociceptive pain?

NOCICEPTIVE PAIN - Examples include sprains, bone fractures, burns, bumps, bruises, inflammation (from an infection or arthritic disorder), obstructions, and myofascial pain (which may indicate abnormal muscle stresses). Nociceptors are the nerves which sense and respond to parts of the body which suffer from damage.

What is Somatogenic pain?

Somatogenic pain, or organic pain, arises from somatogenic lesions resulting from trauma, infection, or other external factors.[ 2 ] Somatogenic pain is divided into two main categories: nociceptive and neurophatic pain.

What is pain defined as?

Pain is defined as “whatever the experiencing patient says it is, existing whenever the patient says it does” (McCaffery, 1968, p. 95). This common definition of pain captures the subjective nature of pain and maintains an individual’s dignity.

What to do if you think pain is present?

What should you do if you think pain is present? Discuss with the doctor whether pharmacological or non-pharmacological interventions would be helpful. Also discuss the risks and benefits of using various types of pain medications. Some analgesic (pain-relieving) medications, like aspirin or acetaminophen (Tylenol), can be bought over-the-counter, and without a doctor’s prescription. If stronger medications are needed to relieve pain, a prescription for that medication, which may be a narcotic drug, will be needed. All medications have side effects, but stronger pain medications may have undesirable side effects, like constipation. The doctor prescribing a drug that may cause a problematic side effect may also prescribe a medication that will prevent the side effect from occurring. If a strong pain medication is prescribed some people may be concerned that the person with dementia will become addicted. Because dementia is a terminal disease (i.e., one that will eventually result in a person’s death unless they succumb to another disease first), addiction will generally not be a major concern. The compassionate course of action should be to address pain so as to help the cognitively impaired person be as comfortable as possible

How to detect pain in dementia?

One way for the concerned caregiver to detect possible pain is to observe persons with dementia for the presence and/or absence of certain behaviors. This behavior may be subtle, like a slight frown or fidgeting or a reduction in movement. Or it may be more pronounced, like grimacing, continued groaning, or physical or verbal aggression.

Can pain medication cause constipation?

All medications have side effects, but stronger pain medications may have undesirable side effects, like constipation. The doctor prescribing a drug that may cause a problematic side effect may also prescribe a medication that will prevent the side effect from occurring.

Full Article

Did you struggle to get access to this article? This product could help you

Cite

If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click on download.

Request Permissions

Scott A. Eldredge, PhD, Department of Communication, Western Carolina University, 109 Old Student Union, 180 Joyner Rd, Cullowhee, NC 28723, USA. Email: saeldredge@wcu.edu

Who defined pain as "whatever the experiencing person says it is, existing whenever he/she says it does

This is a very scientific and technical way to talk about pain, because it focuses on tissue injury. That is easy to understand. Margo McCaffery , a highly recognized nurse and pioneer pain educator, defined pain as “…whatever the experiencing person says it is, existing whenever he/she says it does.”.

What is pain in psychology?

Harold Merskey, a professor of psychiatry, defines pain as “…an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage.”. [1] This is a very scientific and technical way to talk about pain, because it focuses on tissue injury.

What is the short acting medication for pain?

Opioids – Medications like oxycodone, oxycodone/paracetamol (Percocet), hydrocodone/acetaminophen (Vicodin), hydrocodone/paracetamol (Norco), and tramadol are short-acting medications often prescribed for the treatment of acute pain.

How to relieve pain from running?

The main objective when relieving severe pain is the use of multimodal analgesia, which refers to a combination of solutions for pain relief; these include pharmacological and nonpharmacological sources. Use thermal therapy – applying hot and cold compresses. If you’re running and your joints are hurting, use ice.

What is breakthrough pain?

Breakthrough – episodic pain. It’s an acute, sudden break in relief from pain medication, which spikes and then returns to “normal”. The term came from cancer pain literature, going from a “steady state” (when medicated) and then having a spike.

What is nociceptive pain?

Nociceptive – pain that results from acute tissue injury. It is divided into two classifications: somatic and visceral. Somatic pain is best understood as pain of the musculoskeletal system and is described as pounding, throbbing, and well localized – affecting an isolated area. An example is a cut or a sprain.

How long does chronic pain last?

Chronic Pain is now known as “persistent or complex pain.”. This refers to pain that lasts longer than six months or beyond the timeframe of expected resolution. The pain may not match the pathology (for example, when the back is causing the problem when a patient presents with a knee problem).