Empirical Review Supporting the Application of the “Pain Assessment as a Social Transaction” Model in Pediatrics

Abstract

Despite decades of research, national mandates, and widespread implementation of guidelines, recent reports suggest that the quality of pain assessment and management in hospitalized children remains suboptimal. The mismatch between what is advocated and what is done in practice has led experts to argue for a conceptual shift in thinking, where the pain assessment process is viewed from a complex social communication or transaction framework. This article examines the empirical evidence from the recent pediatric pain assessment and decision-making literature that supports adaptation of Schiavenato and Craig's “Pain Assessment as a Social Transaction” model in explaining pediatric acute pain management decisions. Multiple factors contributing to children's pain experiences and expressions are explored, and some of the difficulties interpreting their pain scores are exposed. Gaps in knowledge related to nurses' clinical pain management decisions are identified, and the importance of children's and parents' preferences and roles and the influence of risks and adverse events on decision making are identified. This review highlights the complexity of pediatric nurses' pain management decisions toward the clinical goal of improving comfort while minimizing risk. Further study evaluating the propositions related to nurses' decisions to intervene is needed in pediatric clinical settings to better synthesize this model for children.