They are asked how long they have had pain and what steps they have taken to alleviate it. Each day patients are hospitalized, they are asked again to rate their pain. Nurses look for signs of pain in patients who cannot speak for themselves, such as someone with Alzheimer's, or babies. Patients who have pain are treated based on whatever medicine their doctors order, said Jennifer Mitchell, a registered nurse and chairman of the hospital's pain management task force. Checking for pain has become as important as checking pulse or other vital signs of life, Mitchell said.
All patients receive a pamphlet that explains their right to pain relief.
We want them to let us know if they are experiencing pain. Upon discharge, patients anonymously answer a questionnaire about whether they received adequate pain relief. We have been really pleased with that. Trinity organized a pain management team in 1993. Like UniMed, the hospital adopted a measurement tool that rates pain from zero to five and provides brochures to patients that explains about pain control.