An educational intervention to improve pain assessment in preverbal children.
OBJECTIVE
Pediatric nurses often use an inappropriate tool to assess pain in children younger than 36 months of age.


OBJECTIVE
This intervention intended to improve the nursing practice of assessing pain in preverbal (less than 36 months of age) children.


METHODS
Pain assessment frequency and use of a pain assessment pediatric tool use was evaluated pre- and post-intervention via a retrospective chart review and a survey of pediatric nurses. Parametric and non-parametric statistical tests were used to determine significant differences between pre- and post-intervention data for both approaches.


RESULTS
The chart review data showed a significant increase in the number of times pain was assessed and documented post-educational intervention. Similarly, the survey data analysis showed a significant post-intervention increase in the use of a pain assessment tool and that most nurses used the FLACC pain assessment tool when assessing pain in preverbal children.


CONCLUSIONS
Educating staff nurses about the use of an appropriate pain assessment scale altered practice and improved the frequency of pain assessment of preverbal children.
Aimee
A
Vael
Kelli
K
Whitted
D000328:Adult; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005845:Georgia; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009633:Nonverbal Communication; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000193:education*; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000379:methods* / Q000451:nursing*; D010371:Pediatric Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012189:Retrospective Studies