Assessment and Treatment

• Assessment is a priority.
• As part of accreditation requirements, The Joint Commission has mandated that all hospitals implement a pain assessment and management program.
• Assessment of pain can be difficult when a patient is unconscious or has an indwelling device that can impeded communication such as an endotracheal tube.  Therefore nurses, must rely on other means such as pain scales or monitoring for increase heart rate and blood pressure, or anxiety.
• Nurses may use pharmacological or nonpharmacological methods to treat pain.
• Pharmacological include utilizing medication as soon as the pain begin.
• Nonpharmacological include utilizing relaxation, heat or cold, massage, or guided imagery.

(Helms, 2008)