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Specific responsibilities

Long-Term Care Nursing Advisor, August 11, 2008

Nursing responsibilities for assessing, managing, and evaluating effectiveness of pain management include the following:

  • Determining the nature of the pain and its impact on the resident
  • Identifying factors that affect the resident's perception and expression of pain
  • Determining when to administer analgesics
  • Deciding which analgesic to administer, if more than one is ordered
  • Determining the dose of analgesic medication to administer, if a range is prescribed
  • Evaluating the effectiveness of the analgesic
  • Assessing for and managing side effects of the medication
  • Determining why the analgesic was ineffective, if applicable
  • Determining the need to change the dose, timing, or medication and reporting this information to the healthcare provider
  • Using nursing interventions to promote comfort and relieve pain
  • Making sure the plan of care describes pain assessment and management
  • Documenting pain assessment and intervention noted herein to relfect use of the nursing process

This week's tip is from Clinical Documentation: An Essential Guide for Long-Term Care Nurses.

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