Pain assessment by emergency nurses at triage in the emergency department: A qualitative study.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To investigate the assessment of pain intensity in the specific context of triage. BACKGROUND: Acute pain affects most patients admitted to emergency departments, but pain relief in this setting remains insufficient. Evaluation of pain and its treatment at the time of patient triage expedites the administration of analgesia, but may be awkward at this time-pressured moment. The assessment of pain intensity by a validated pain scale is a critical initial step, and a patient's self-reporting is widely considered as the key to effective pain management. According to good practice guidelines, clinicians must accept a patient's statement, regardless of their own opinions. DESIGN: A qualitative methodology rooted in interactionist sociology and on the Grounded theory was used to provide an opportunity to uncover complex decision-making processes, such as those involved in assessing pain. METHODS: A sociologist conducted semi-structured interviews during the 2013-2014 winter months with twelve nurses and trained in the use of an established protocol, focusing on the assessment of pain intensity. The interviews were recorded, fully transcribed and analysed. RESULTS: The most frequently used pain scale was the Verbal Numerical Rating Scale. Discrepancies between self-assessment and evaluation by a nurse were common. To restore congruence between the two, nurses used various tactics, such as using different definitions of the high-end anchor of the scale, providing additional explanations about the scale, or using abnormal vital signs or the acceptance of morphine as a proof of the validity of severe pain ratings. CONCLUSIONS: Nurses cannot easily suspend their own judgement. Their tactics do not express a lack of professionalism, but are consistent with the logic of professional intervention. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: This article presents triage nurses' reality in a time-pressured environment, and understanding this conflict may outline new educational targets to further improve pain management in ED.

Task-shifting Using a Pain Management Protocol in an Emergency Care Service: Nurses' Perception through the Eye of the Rogers's Diffusion of Innovation Theory.

It has been shown that over 70% of patients waiting in emergency departments (EDs) do not receive analgesics, despite the fact that more than 78% complain of pain. A clinical innovation in the form of a pain management protocol that includes task-shifting has been implemented in the ED of a university hospital in Switzerland in order to improve pain-related outcomes in patients. This innovation involves a change in clinical practice for physicians and nurses. The aim of this study is to explore nurses' perceptions on how well this innovation is adopted. This descriptive correlational study took place in the ED of a Swiss university hospital; the hospital provides healthcare for the city, the canton, and adjoining cantons. A convenience sample of 37 ED nurses participated. They were asked to complete a questionnaire comprising 56 statements based on Rogers's "Diffusion of Innovation" theory. Nurses' opinions (on a 1-10 Likert scale) indicate that the new protocol benefits the ED (mean [M] = 7.4, standard deviation [SD] = 1.21), is compatible with nursing roles (M = 8.0, SD = 1.9), is not too complicated to apply (M = 2.7, SD = 1.7), provides observable positive effects in patients (M = 7.0, SD = 1.28), and is relatively easy to introduce into daily practice (M = 6.5, SD = 1.0). Further studies are now needed to examine patients' experiences of this innovation.

[Hospitality for elderly patients in the emergency department]. / Seniors aux urgences, une question d'hospitalité?

Demographic evolution results in a growing use of emergency department by elderly patients. They require special care to avoid any further degradation of cognitive and functional abilities already compromised by the disease or injury that led them to hospital in the first place. Through a clinical case, we list the risks related to the care of these particular patients in the emergency department. Early recognition of those risks and careful management of these patients' specific needs can significantly contribute to reduce lengths of stay, an important outcome from both the individual patient's and society's perspective.