Nursing Care Plan of Acute and Chronic Pain

Pain can be described as an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, It is a complex and subjective phenomenon that can be described as a combination of physical and emotional sensations. Pain can be acute (lasting few minutes to days) or chronic (lasting more than six months) and can range from mild, moderate to severe. It can be caused by a variety of factors, including injury, surgery, disease, or other underlying medical conditions. The experience of pain can impact an individual’s daily activities and quality of life, making effective pain management an important aspect of patient care. In this article I am going to discuss the Nursing care plan for a patient experiencing pain.

Step 1: Assessment

• Gather a thorough history of the patient’s pain, including location, intensity, and duration
• Assess the patient’s vital signs, including heart rate, blood pressure, and respiratory rate
• Evaluate the patient’s pain using a pain assessment tool, such as a numerical rating scale or visual analogue scale
• Identify any underlying causes of the pain, such as an injury or illness.

Step 2: Diagnosis

• Identify the patient’s main nursing diagnosis based on the assessment findings. Examples of common pain-related nursing diagnoses include “Acute Pain related to…as evidenced by…” and “Chronic Pain related to… as evidenced by.”

Step 3: Planning

• Establish specific, measurable goals for the patient’s pain management. For example, “The patient will report a decrease in pain from an 8/10 to a 4/10 on a numerical rating scale within the next 24 hours of Nursing intervention.”

Step 4: Implementation

• Develop an individualized plan of care to meet the patient’s needs. This may include:
  • Administering pain medication as prescribed
  • Encouraging the patient to participate in physical therapy or other forms of rehabilitation
  • Teaching the patient relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing or progressive muscle relaxation
  • Providing comfort measures, such as positioning and repositioning the patient, using heat or cold therapy, or offering massage

Step 5: Evaluation

• Continuously monitor the patient’s pain level and adjust the care plan as needed
• Reassess the patient’s response to the pain management interventions and make any necessary modifications
• Document the patient’s progress and communicate any changes to the healthcare team.

Pain management is a crucial aspect of patient care, and the nursing care plan plays an important role in ensuring that the patient receives effective and individualized care. By following a systematic and evidence-based approach, nurses can help alleviate the patient’s pain and improve their quality of life.