A pain management documentation tool.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: To describe the development, implementation, and evaluation of a tool to standardize assessment, monitoring, management, and documentation of acute and chronic pain in hospitalized patients. DATA SOURCES: A multidisciplinary hospital committee, nursing staff, a pain consultant, published standards, and hospital standards. DATA SYNTHESIS: A comprehensive pain flow sheet and pain protocol was developed to assess, monitor, document, and evaluate clients at risk for or with actual pain. The tool was designed to assess and document acute and chronic pain in patients with cancer. CONCLUSIONS: Based on an initial review of quality assurance indicators, the tool has demonstrated increased consistency in documentation of pain management activities. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: The use of a pain assessment and management flow sheet with a pain protocol provides an organized, consistent approach that maximizes quality, cost-effective care.

A regional survey of intravenous therapy practices.

In this article, the authors share the results of a survey developed by a group of nurses in a 400-bed community hospital and distributed to 25 health care agencies throughout the northeastern New York region. The survey is comprised of six major categories, with questions pertaining to flushing and dressing protocols, types of vascular access devices used, and the availability of equipment and resources. Sixty percent of the agencies responded, including hospital, home care, hospice, and physician office settings. Major findings identified a lack of consistency in flushing and dressing protocols and in the types of equipment used. Implications for future practice will be presented along with the results of the survey.

Investigation of the Knoll Assessment Scale in a tertiary care facility.

The purpose of this study was to assist in assessing the validity and reliability of adaptation of the Knoll Tool, Assessment of Pressure Ulcer Potential. Data were retrospectively collected from charts of a random sample of patients (n = 62) who were admitted to a tertiary care facility. Total risk scores ranged from 0 to 22 with a mean of 8.7 and a standard deviation of 6.37. The alpha for the total assessment tool was .6352 with a standardized item alpha of .5973. Discriminant analysis predicted group membership at 62.9%. Group membership was most accurately predicted in Group 1 (76.9%). Discriminant analysis using a score of 11 predicted only 46.8% of group membership, although Group 1 predicted 88.5% and Group 4 predicted 85.7%. Low predictions may be related to small sample size.