Methods and Nursing Management of Pain in Children
Nursing Management of Pain in Children:
Nurses are essential in pain diagnoses and treatment in all health care settings. They are closest to the patients and their families and provide constant emotional, spiritual and personal support. They have important role in assessing and monitoring pain management.
Methods of Pain Management in Children:
There are two methods of pain management:
- Pharmacological method,
- Non-pharmacological method.
All the above two methods have discussed in the below:
1. Pharmacological method:
- Physician should prescribe pharmacologic drugs and nurse should maintain four rights’ right be drugs, right dose, right route and right time.
- Non opioids like paracetamol and Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are suitable for mild to moderate pain.
- Opiodis like morphine is considered-the gold standard for the management of severe pain.
- When morphine is not suitable dromophone, fentanyl can be used.
2. Non-pharmacological method:
- Pain is often associated with fear, anxiety and stress.
- A variety of non-pharmacologic methods, such as distraction, relaxation, guided imagery and cutaneous stimulation may help reduce pain perception. These techniques enhance comfort, reduce the perceived threat of pain, and promote rest and sleep. These methods are safe, noninvasive and inexpensive and nursing functions.
Nursing Management of Pain in Children:
It includes-
- The assessment of pain is important to provide an appropriate care.
- Establish relationship between nurse and child.
- Nurse should evaluate the pain. Some children may not complain about the pain due to fear of the doctor, drugs or injection.
- Observation of children’s behavior changes is important to understand their pain and its cause. An irritability, a specific adopted position, repeated touch to the – area, rigid movements and facial expressions of the children give clues about the nature of pain.
- Mother should be stay with their children is very important during the painful state of their children; this may help to reduce stress and discomfort of children.
- To avoid pain nurses should touching, talking, showing television and playing with toy, playing music.
- Vital pain should be record after administration.
- Nurses should reposition, support body parts Visitor should be restricted.
- Promote rest and sleep.
- Light should lower and noise should be reduced.
- Administer medication as order, early in the pain episode.
- Medication-Analgesic, NSAIDs eg. Ibuprofen, and analgesic such as morphine, Demerol etc.
- Nurses should assess side’ effect of pain medication, nausea, constipation, respiratory status, urinary retention, and hypotension.
- Chronic pain requires a comprehensive approach to manage it effectively.
More questions related to this article:
- How will you manage pain in children?
- How will you manage a child with pain?
- Describe the nursing management of pain in children.
- Describe the pharmacological and non-pharmacological methods of pain.
- How to manage pain in a child?
Maria Khatun Mona is a Founder and Editor of Nursing Exercise Blog. She is a Nursing and Midwifery Expert. Currently she is working as a Registered Nurse at Evercare Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh. She has great passion in writing different articles on Nursing and Midwifery. Mail her at “[email protected]”
