Introduction
Pain is a common and distressing symptom experienced by patients across different healthcare settings. While evidence-based recommendations are available, pain is still under-assessed and under-treated, with detrimental effects such as lower patient satisfaction, higher healthcare expenditures, and more prolonged hospital admissions (Dharsee et al., 2022). Thus, this study emphasizes the issue of comprehending the fundamental notion of unsatisfactory pain evaluation and management. Hence, developing a clinical nursing theory will be the primary goal of raising the care bar.
The Problem
Poor pain management can have adverse physical and psychological effects on individuals and their relatives. The pituitary-adrenal axis is stimulated when there is continuous pain that is not alleviated, according to Dharsee et al. (2022). Unfortunately, this may suppress the immune system, which can lead to postoperative infections and poor wound healing. The circulatory, intestinal, and renal tracts can all be adversely affected by sympathetic activity, which puts patients at risk for undesirable conditions, including myocardial ischemia or ileus.
Patients in constant discomfort are less likely to move about, putting them at greater risk for complications, including blood clots, pneumonia, and deep vein thrombosis. In the realm of nursing, this is of paramount importance.
According to Urman et al. (2021), prolonged durations of stay and patient readmissions are two postsurgical consequences linked to poor pain management that harm patient satisfaction and hospital efficiency. These two clauses raise the price of medical care. Despite all these severe implications, underreporting and undertreatment of pain are common (Dharsee et al., 2022). This is why it is crucial to have a workable clinical theory to solve the problem.
Clinical Nursing Theory
The clinical nursing theory developed in this issue focuses on using pain evaluation and management to improve the quality of care. According to the hypothesis, evidence-based pain evaluation and management standards may raise the standard of care. Pain is a subjective feeling, yet it can be hard to describe. To ensure that the best therapy is delivered, nurses must know how to examine it. Better patient outcomes will result as a result of this.
This emphasizes the recommendation made by Dharsee et al. (2022) that assessing pain is a crucial first step in delivering effective pain treatment and raising the bar for medical care. The study’s research included the claim that the inability to quantify pain was one of the most challenging obstacles to obtaining effective pain management and the potential to improve the standard of treatment in most clinical settings.
Concepts
Pain Assessment and Management
The primary concepts in this approach are the standard of care and the assessment and management of pain. Identifying and alleviating a patient’s pain is called pain evaluation and management. This may employ several tactics. To aid in the assessment procedure, Dharsee et al. (2022) demonstrate that the essential tasks that caregivers must do are to identify and explain the pain. To aid in choosing the most appropriate course of action, they must also comprehend the source of the discomfort. It is vital to monitor pain levels to assess whether or not the underlying condition is improving and whether or not the prescribed treatment is having the desired impact.
Pain Level Scales
Research can utilize the Wong-Baker Faces Pain Rating Scale or the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) to examine and compare different approaches to pain treatment. Medical practitioners frequently use these instruments to gauge a patient’s level of pain and assist in creating a successful pain management strategy. For instance, the NRS asks patients to assess their severity of pain from 0 to 10. (Moisset et al., 2022). The scale for pain levels ranges from zero or no pain to ten (the worst pain imaginable).
On the other hand, the Wong-Baker Facial Pain Rating Scale allows the patient to gauge and accurately convey the degree of pain they are feeling. The six faces on the scale, ranging from a happy one at zero to a troubled one at ten, represent different pain levels, as Moisset et al. (2022) described. It is easier to convey several methods for someone to grasp discomfort by using faces, figures, and brief sentences. The scale then enables a healthcare practitioner to interpret the results. Consequently, the professionals can take the required steps to alleviate any discomfort the person might be feeling.
The Standard of Care
Meanwhile, the standard of care describes the degree of care anticipated to be offered to patients following best practices and evidence-based recommendations. In this regard, Bell (2020) suggests that it is developed following best practices, evidence-based recommendations, and the expertise and experience of healthcare professionals. Although there is no precise method to determine the standard of care, Saad et al. (2020) suggest that it may be assessed using metrics like patient satisfaction ratings and adherence to evidence-based recommendations.
The degree to which healthcare professionals follow accepted recommendations and best practices in administering care services and handling different health disorders defines adherence to evidence-based guidelines. These recommendations, usually based on thorough scientific analysis and clinical studies, are intended to maximize patient outcomes and raise the standard of care (Saad et al., 2020).
On the other side, patient satisfaction scores are an indicator of how happy people are with their treatment. This might involve elements such as the effectiveness of the patient’s entire experience and the level of contact with medical professionals (Saad et al., 2020). The significance of healthcare practitioners, clinics, and other healthcare institutions is frequently assessed using both criteria, significant indications of healthcare quality.
Matching with Middle-Range Theory
Encouraging Emotions in Pain Evaluation
Watson’s Theory of Human Caring is critical to compare clinical nursing with mid-range theory. The Caritas Process: Encouraging and Accepting Good and Negative Emotions is the Watsonian notion that most closely resembles the concept of assessing and managing pain. This procedure stresses the value of hearing patients’ concerns, according to Wei et al. (2019). As a result, it is crucial to create relationships based on trust, comprehension, and connection.
It entails respectfully, sympathetically, and non-judgmentally expressing your true sentiments, whether favorable or unfavorable. Positive emotion expression may improve relationships, support one’s successes or strengths, and energize others. As caregivers must build strong relationships with their patients and improve communication to understand their pain and concerns better, these factors are crucial to pain evaluation and management.
Utilizing Creative Problem-Solving in the Standard of Care
On the other hand, the Caritas Process: Utilizing Creative Problem-Solving from Watson’s theory corresponds to the concept of the standard of care. It is a better way to assist healthcare professionals in identifying and resolving issues that may not be obvious with conventional problem-solving techniques. The strategy, according to Wei et al. (2019), comprises employing innovative and creative methods to handle complex problems that arise in healthcare settings. The idea, for instance, provides numerous tactics that might assist caregivers in coming up with answers utilizing various methods, such as brainstorming multiple ways and offering backup plans when one fails to work. Therefore, this process emphasizes the importance of using evidence-based practice and critical thinking to address patient needs and improve the standard of care.
Impact on the Nursing Profession
Better pain treatment and evaluation can increase patient satisfaction and results. According to Dharsee et al. (2022), its effects go beyond that since it broadens the advantages and lowers healthcare expenses related to ineffective pain treatment. Effective pain evaluation and management still face specific obstacles, though. Rahmawati (2021) holds that most individuals are reluctant to disclose discomfort, that healthcare personnel lacks knowledge and abilities, and that few resources are available. Because of this, more investigation is required to pinpoint obstacles to using procedures and recommendations for pain evaluation and management. The effect of nurse training and instruction on adherence rates need more study.
Conclusion
Although ineffective pain evaluation and treatment constitute a severe challenge in care settings, the clinical theory may offer a workable remedy. The theory contends that raising the standard of care via the clinical nursing theory of “Using pain assessment and management to raise the standard of care” is possible. The goal of this is to inspire and promote improved patient outcomes.
Moreover, it is possible to quantify the concepts of pain evaluation, treatment, and quality of care. This idea may complement Watson’s Theory of Human Caring, emphasizing the value of employing evidence-based treatment and paying attention to patients’ problems. Even though the literature has supported and validated the hypothesis, further study is required to determine whether or not it enhances the quality of service and patient outcomes.
References
Bell, S. G. (2020). Evidence-based practice competencies for RNS and APNS: How are we doing? Neonatal Network, 39(5), 299–302. Web.
Dharsee, N., Haule, M., Mlawa, G., & Lwanga, T. (2022). Identifying training needs in pain management—A survey of staff at a tertiary cancer care centre. Pain Studies and Treatment, 10(02), 9–20. Web.
Moisset, X., Attal, N., & de Andrade, D. C. (2022). An emoji-based visual analog scale compared with a numeric rating scale for pain assessment. JAMA, 328(19), 1980-1980. Web.
Rahmawati, I. N. (2021). Implementing nursing round to deal with unresolved nursing problem on patient with acute pain: A case report. Journal of Public Health Research, 10(2). Web.
Saad, M. M., Abdo, H. A., & Metwally, T. M. (2020). Assessment of family physician’s adherence to the Egyptian guidelines for early detection and management of depression in family practice centers -Suez Canal University. Fam Med Med Sci Res, 9(3). Web.
Urman, R. D., Seger, D. L., Fiskio, J. M., Neville, B. A., Harry, E. M., Weiner, S. G., Lovelace, B., Fain, R., Cirillo, J., & Schnipper, J. L. (2021). The burden of opioid-related adverse drug events on hospitalized previously opioid-free surgical patients. Journal of Patient Safety, 17(2), e76–e83. Web.
Wei, H., Fazzone, P. A., Sitzman, K., & Hardin, S. R. (2019). The current intervention studies based on Watson’s theory of human caring: A systematic review. International Journal for Human Caring, 23(1). Web.