Pain management nursing practice assessment in older adults with dementia.
Alícia Minaya-Freire, Mireia Subirana-Casacuberta, Emma Puigoriol-Juvanteny and 1 others
PMID 33826237WHAT IT FOUND
Nurses assessed pain in 88% of older adults with dementia, but follow-up was poor.
Only 45% of patients with pain scores over 3 were reassessed in the same shift, and non-pharmacological interventions were rarely documented.
Key findings
01Pain intensity was assessed a median of 1.9 times per day, with the highest frequency during the late shift.
02Only 45% of pain assessments showing a score greater than 3 led to a reassessment during the same shift.
03Higher self-reported pain scores were associated with more drug administration, but higher observed pain scores were not.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study was conducted in a single unit in Spain, limiting generalizability. Data extraction for nursing annotations was manual and performed by a single author, which may introduce bias. The retrospective nature means that pain interventions may have occurred but were not documented.
Declared interests
The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that pain is adequately managed simply because it is assessed at admission. The study shows that follow-up after high pain scores is inconsistent, and observational pain indicators often do not lead to treatment adjustments.