Prediction of outcome: Post-operative pain intensity reported by patients, family members, and nurses

Abstract

It is well recognized that assessing and treating pain minimizes its harmful effects. Although nurses have become more skilled at pain assessment, many still do not use all available sources of information when making treatment decisions. It is unclear if nurses are accurate in their assessment of patients' pain or if the family's evaluation of pain is incorporated into the plan. This study explored whether there are differences in the perception and rating of a post-surgical patient's pain intensity among patients, family members, and nurses, using a verbal analogue scale. Perceptions of the patient's pain were not significantly different between patients and family, nor between patients and nurses. However, perceptions were different between the family and the nurses, suggesting that family members overestimate and nurses underestimate pain. This may perpetuate pain control issues in the hospital and post-discharge, and have implications for the content of pain education programs.