title: Implementation of the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research postoperative pain management guideline.
abstract: The Agency for Health Care Policy and Research reviewed and synthesized the current pain research and developed a clinical practice guideline to assist the practitioner. A community hospital decided to adopt the postoperative pain management guideline using a research utilization approach. Education of health care professionals and development of a pain flow chart, pain scales, and updated technology were completed. Preliminary findings demonstrate a decreased pain intensity score postsurgically and an increase in patient satisfaction with staff response to pain relief.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Horn Memorial Hospital, Ida Grove, Iowa, USA.
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Bach
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000698:Analgesia / Q000379:methods; D016058:Analgesia, Patient-Controlled; D015400:Clinical Nursing Research; D004059:Diffusion of Innovation; D004509:Education, Nursing, Continuing; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009730:Nursing Assessment; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000193:education; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000451:nursing* / Q000628:therapy; D014481:United States; D016270:United States Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality