| Pain is one of the most common complaints patients have upon admission to the hospital and is frequently reported throughout hospitalization (State Pain Policy Advocacy Network, 2017). Effectively managed pain is a basic human right, yet many patients continue to have their pain ineffectively managed (IOM, 2011). Ineffectively managed acute pain can cause deleterious effects on a multitude of body systems and has been identified as predictive for the development of chronic pain (O'Conner & Dworkin, 2011; Sinatra, 2010).;The purpose of this evidence-based practice (EBP) pilot project was to develop and use a nursing practice pain management guideline based on the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality (AHRQ): Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO, 2013) pain management guidelines for adult, medical and surgical, hospitalized patients who have pain. Direct-care registered nurses were educated and provided with a laminated copy of the pain management guideline. Pain-rating scores from two independent groups of patients on a 32-bed medical-surgical unit, selected from a retrospective chart review, were compared before and after implementation of the guideline. Analysis of the retrospective aggregate data demonstrated a significant positive effect on pain rating scores post-guideline implementation. T-test results (p < .05 were at p = .0126) indicated that the difference between the means was statistically significant. Accordingly, the results of this EBP pilot project support the use of a nursing practice pain management guideline as a standardized approach for nurses to use when assessing, reassessing and managing pain.;Keywords: Pain, nursing pain assessment and pain management, nursing practice pain management guidelines, evidence-based guidelines. |
