Reflective Essay On Pain Assessment

This assignment will analyse and critically discuss a scenario from clinical placement that assesses a range of physical and mental health needs of individuals of all ages and provide safe and effective care prior to accessing or referring to a specialist. I will be using Rolfe, Jasper and Freshwater’s reflective framework (2001) as a structure to show a developing understanding of professional knowledge and skills. Patients and placement provider’s names have been omitted or changed to ensure confidentiality (NMC 2015).
During my placement within a surgical ward, I met Peter, who was day two post spinal surgery. To facilitate his recovery, Peter’s pain levels must be managed to improve Peter’s care experience and wellbeing. In order to achieve …show more content…
When assessing Peter’s pain I initially used a uni-dimensional assessment tool. Uni-dimensional assessment tools are the most commonly used assessment tools, focusing on few factors such as the location and intensity of the pain (Coif et al 2004). Whilst this assessment tool allows nurses to quickly identify and manage the intensity and location of the pain, it allows greater room for misinterpretation when identifying the nature of the pain; for example, one patient’s classification regarding intensity can be interpreted differently by various health care professionals. Using the uni-dimensional assessment tool caused me to mistakenly identify the cause and nature of Peter’s pain causing him unnecessary suffering and distress. Poorly assessed post operative pain can cause raised levels of anxiety, insomnia, restlessness, irritability, aggression, distress, increased blood pressure and heart rate, nausea and vomiting and wound discharge (Carr et al 2005). These factors can greatly increase the risk of deterioration after