Yeah, it is a JCAHO requirement. Yeah, we use the pain faces scale and record pain by the numbers on the graphic. We have education sheets and we have a plan of care for pain control goals that we have to get signed by the patient. We do all the things you have posted here. I just wonder how you really apply the "Pain Standard" to labor and delivery situations. Labor, is inherently painful to a large population. Setting an acceptable level of pain control at 4 or 5, knowing that as the labor progresses, the perception of pain usually also increases, as well as knowing that most of our pain control interventions will not meet the unrealistic goal, is really not appropriate. It is nearly deceptive. It just doesn't make sense to me. How are most of you applying the requirements and the solutions that the hospitals' pain teams have invented? In looking at the pain standards, it seems to me that it was intended to address CHRONIC pain and/or cancer pain rather than the acute pain of childbirth. It even could address post op pain of cesarean sections or postpartum pain. It applies to post op GYN's. When you go to the pain sites, the pain assessments, goal setting, interventions and documentations with VS, seem to apply to chronic or cancer pain. So correct me here. How do you really meet this standard? What are you doing to make this apply to OB pts. in labor? And how do you use it with children? or newborns? This is driving me nuts. HELP!! How do you meet the standards really??? Thank you for clarifying this for me. Policy and procedure would be helpful too......
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L&D pain scale
