Nat'l Pain Care Policy Act of 2003

Anniekins · Nov 17, 2003

Can you share with us the proposed legislation. I have not heard about it yet.

Thanks, Annie

curradob · Nov 17, 2003

It authorizes a White House Conference on pain care hoping to increase awareness of pain as a significant public health problem.

http://www.painmed.org/policyact/summary.html

Cut and paste the above link for a detailed summary of H.R. 1863

Thanks.

ilovetheelderly · Nov 19, 2003

We can always use more education in our field about pain. There is a resident at our facility who is in end stage cancer (bleeding and all) and the resident's family only wants perc. 1/2 tab in am and nighttime, can you stand it? Well, two of our beloved staff nurses advocated for the res who obviously shows facial grimacing, furrowed brows, geri like chair bound and all. After, we got the dr to change pain med to morphine every 6 hrs at a small amount, nurse mgr didn't stand up for the res. and caved in to the family's absurd request to get the res back on 1/2 perc bid, can you stand it? So, what's the use of standing up if you're just going to get shot down, I mean, who are we treating here, residents or families.??? Help us dear Lord speak up for those who can no longer speak for themselves. It's awful!!!!!!!

curradob · Nov 19, 2003

sounds like staff there need an inservice on palliative care and end of life care. do you have hospice or any other resource that would talk with the family? obviously, they're missing the boat somewhere (the family, that is)

ilovetheelderly · Nov 19, 2003

We have a great dr who actually runs our whole comfort care floor but as always, you have some staff nurses and mgrs that either have no backbone, not willing to go against "FAMILIES"; you know the kind of staff that you just about have to turn their hands behind their back just to give a PRN!! I don't know if its a lack of willing to change and LEARN TO RECOGNIZE PAIN AS A 5th VITAL SIGN, or just MEAN!! Nurse mgrs are suppose to support their staff nurses and help with the care and treatment of residents, and a couple trillion things, which the page doesn't allow for, but do you get the drift.?? This nurse mgr is caring and loving, professional, and does her/his job but PAIN IS VERY IMPORTANT AND NEEDS TO BE DEALT WITH AND TREATED APPROPRIATELY; the dr probably didn't see the nurse mgr advocating on behalf of the res so, the dr took the nurse mgr's perspective and judgement more than what the staff nurses were saying., Lord help us please. TO NOT TREAT PAIN IN REGARDS TO RESIDENTS CLIENTS CONSUMERS, OR PATIENTS, WHEN MEDICALLY ABLE TO PER MD'S ORDERS AND NURSING JUDGEMENT IS UNETHICAL!!!!!! AND CRUEL!! Obviously, I get upset when you come across these situations. Oh sure, now all of our units are going to have pain control/comfort nurses, but its so ironic when some of the staff nurses they chose are the very ones who somehow seem like they know what the res needs, and they feel it certainly its pain control. You wouldn't believe when you hear on a shift change verbal report about someone who c/o of excruciating pain all over, and you're just coming on the unit as a floater, and the regular staff nurse will say, "you know I think we'd better get a psych eval asap, she's off the wall" or something she said to that effect. Inside of my mind, I'm saying, "no dummy, she's in pain, and you'd be off the wall too, if you had her pain". Thank God, this lady was on my side and I made sure the dr saw her and I said, "please help her dr, she's in excruciating pain" I mean she could hardly transfer (she use to be independent) now she's 1 assist, bilateral +2- +3 edema from below the knee to feet, bruises on her backside, knee bruised, from a fall 3 days prior, (prior x-rays done showed nothing), heaving, out of breath but sats were 97% on room air, anyways, its just ridiculous some of these people who are our fellow colleagues and refuse to learn, grow, or just listen to our patients or residents. Anyways, it's getting better, all I know is I'm going to have it all tattooed on my chest, GIVE ME MY PAIN MEDS, PAY ATTENTION TO MY GRIMACING AND FURROWED BROWS AND DON'T FORGET MY AFFECT TOO. NO TUBE FEEDINGS EITHER. Just venting, long stretch of working hours. From where does my help come from, it comes from my good Lord!! Thanks, we will continue to learn. lSorry, but I just realized I didn't answer your question, the daughter refuses to give her additional pain med and feels "she's okay", the 1/2 perc is fine, she doesn't seem to be in any pain, something to that effect. l

Geeg · Nov 25, 2003

Get the drug companies behind it and it will go far. More emphasis on pain equals more narcotic prescribing and profits.

Agnus · Nov 29, 2003

Originally posted by Geeg
Get the drug companies behind it and it will go far. More emphasis on pain equals more narcotic prescribing and profits.

Interesting take. However, it could backfire because of the well known and understood profit motive of drug companies.

It could be precieved to be nothing more than a profit motive. Though it may be true I fear that involving them may cause a public and medical/nursing perception that it is the only motive for giving meds.