Assessment Management of Pain

Clinical Best
Practice Guidelines
DECEMBER 2013
Assessment and Management of Pain

Third Edition
Disclaimer
These guidelines are not binding on nurses or the organizations that employ them. The use of these guidelines
should be flexible, and based on individual needs and local circumstances. They neither constitute a liability nor
discharge from liability. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the contents at the time of
publication, neither the authors nor the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO) give any guarantee as
to the accuracy of the information contained in them nor accept any liability, with respect to loss, damage, injury
or expense arising from any such errors or omission in the contents of this work.
Copyright
With the exception of those portions of this document for which a specific prohibition or limitation against
copying appears, the balance of this document may be produced, reproduced and published in its entirety,
without modification, in any form, including in electronic form, for educational or non-commercial purposes.
Should any adaptation of the material be required for any reason, written permission must be obtained from
the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario. Appropriate credit or citation must appear on all copied materials
as follows:
Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (2013). Assessment and Management of Pain (3rd ed.). Toronto, ON:
Registered Nurses Association of Ontario.
This work is funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.
Contact Information
Registered Nurses Association of Ontario
158 Pearl Street, Toronto, Ontario M5H 1L3
Website: www.rnao.ca/bestpractices

Third Edition
Assessment and Management of Pain, Third Edition
Greetings from Doris Grinspun,

Chief Executive Officer, Registered Nurses Association of Ontario
The Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO) is delighted to present the
third edition of the clinical best practice guideline, Assessment and Management
of Pain. Evidence-based practice supports the excellence in service that health
professionals are committed to delivering every day. RNAO is delighted to provide
this key resource.
We offer our heartfelt thanks to the many stakeholders that are making our vision
for best practice guidelines a reality, starting with the Government of Ontario, for
recognizing the Registered Nurses Association of Ontarios ability to lead the
program and for providing multi-year funding. Dr. Irmajean Bajnok, director of the
RNAO International Affairs and Best Practice Guidelines Centre and Dr. Monique
Lloyd, the associate director, provide their expertise and leadership. I also want to
thank the chairs of the expert panel, Dr. Judy Watt-Watson (professor emerita of the Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty
of Nursing at the University of Toronto and president of the Canadian Pain Society) and Dr. Denise Harrison (chair
in Nursing Care of Children, Youth and Families, University of Ottawa and honorary research fellow at the Murdoch
Childrens Research Institute in Australia) for their exquisite expertise and stewardship of this guideline. Thanks also
to RNAO staff Brenda Dusek, Andrea Stubbs, Grace Suva, Sara Xiao and Anastasia Harripaul for their intense work
in the production of this third edition. Special thanks to the members of the expert panel for generously providing
time and expertise to deliver a rigorous and robust clinical resource. We couldnt have done it without you!
Successful uptake of best practice guidelines requires a concerted effort from educators, clinicians, employers, policy
makers and researchers. The nursing and health-care community, with their unwavering commitment and passion
for excellence in patient care, have provided the expertise and countless hours of volunteer work essential to the
development and revision of each guideline. Employers have responded enthusiastically by nominating best practice
champions, implementing guidelines, and evaluating their impact on patients and organizations. Governments at
home and abroad have joined in this journey. Together, we are building a culture of evidence-based practice.
We ask you to be sure to share this guideline with your colleagues from other professions, because there is so much
to learn from one another. Together, we must ensure that the public receives the best possible care every time they
come in contact with us making them the real winners in this important effort!
Doris Grinspun, RN, MSN, PhD, LLD (Hon), O. ONT.

Chief Executive Officer
R E G I S T E R E D N U R S E S A S S O C I AT I O N O F O N TA R I O
Table of Contents
How to Use this Document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Purpose and Scope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Summary of Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
RNAO Expert Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
BACKGROUND
Interpretation of Evidence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
RNAO Best Practice Guideline Program Team . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Stakeholder Acknowledgement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Practice Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Organization and Policy Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Research Gaps and Future Implications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Implementation Strategies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Evaluating and Monitoring this Guideline. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
R E C O M M E N D AT I O N S
Education Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Process for Update and Review of the Guideline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
BEST PRACTICE GUIDELINES
w w w. R N A O . c a
REFERENCES
Reference List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Appendix A: Glossary of Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

Appendix B: Guideline Development Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Appendix C: Process for Systematic Review and Search Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Appendix D: Pain Assessment and Management Resources List of Websites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Appendix E: Validated Self-Report Tools for Children, Adolescents and Adults . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Appendix F: Example: Algorithm for Assessing Pain in Hospitalized Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
APPENDICES
Appendix G: Example: Algorithm for Assessing Pain in Adults with Cancer (Source: Cancer Care Ontario) . . . . . . . . . 85
Appendix H: Example: Care Bundle for the Assessment and Management of Pain in the Critically Ill Adult . . . . . . . . 88
Appendix I: Example: Validated Pain Assessment Tools for Neonates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Appendix J: Example: Validated Behavioural Pain Assessment Tools for Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Appendix K: Example: Validated Behavioural Pain Assessment Tool for Adults . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Appendix L: Example: Validated Behavioural Pain Assessment Tools for Non-Verbal Critically Ill Adults . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Appendix M: Pain Assessment Tools for Elders with Cognitive Impairment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Appendix N: Strategies Recommended for Infant and Children Pain (Acute) Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Appendix O: Pasero Opioid-Induced Sedation Scale (POSS) with Interventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
ENDORSEMENTS
Appendix P: Description of the Toolkit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
International Association for the Study of Pain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
How to Use this Document

BACKGROUND
This nursing best practice guidelineG is a comprehensive document, providing resources for evidenceG-based nursing
practice and should be considered a tool, or template, intended to enhance decision making for individualized care.
The guideline is intended to be reviewed and applied in accordance with both the needs of individual organizations
or practice settings and the needs and wishes of the personG (throughout this document, we use the word person
to refer to clientsG, or patients; that is, the person, their family and caregivers being cared for by the interprofessional
team). In addition, the guideline provides an overview of appropriate structures and supports for providing the best
possible evidence-based care.
Nurses, other health-care professionals and administrators who lead and facilitate practice changes will find this
document invaluable for developing policies, procedures, protocols, educational programs and assessments,
interventions and documentation tools. Nurses in direct care will benefit from reviewing the recommendations and
the evidence that supports them. But we particularly recommend practice settings adapt these guidelines in formats
that are user-friendly for daily use; we include some suggested formats for tailoring the guideline to your needs.
If your organization is adopting the guideline, we recommend you follow these steps:
a) Assess your nursing and health-care practices using the guidelines recommendations;
b) Identify which recommendations will address needs or gaps in services; and
c) Develop a plan for implementing the recommendations (Implementation resources, including the RNAO
Implementation Toolkit [RNAO, 2012b] are available on our website, www.RNAO.ca)
We are interested in hearing how you have implemented this guideline. Please contact us to share your story.
* Throughout this document, terms marked with the superscript symbol G (G) can be found in the
Glossary of Terms (Appendix A).
BACKGROUND
Purpose and Scope

Best practice guidelines are systematically developed statements to assist nurses and clients make decisions about
appropriate health care (Field & Lohr, 1990). This guideline provides evidence-based recommendations for nurses and
other members of the interprofessional teamG who are assessing and managing people with the presence, or risk of,
any type of painG.
In October and December 2011, the RNAO convened focus groups with 34 experts who specialize in assessing and
managing pain. Their task was to determine the direction of the third edition of the guideline, Assessment and
Management of Pain. The focus groups were interprofessional, made up of people who held clinical, administrative
and academic roles in a variety of health-care organizations. They work with clients of all ages in different types of
care acute, long-term and home health care, mental health and addictionsG, rehabilitation and community services.
The participants of the focus groups outlined outstanding resources including books, guidelines, position papers, and
care pathways developed to meet the needs of specific populations and based on different types of pain (e.g., acuteG,
persistentG, cancer or during palliative care). These participants also recommended we focus this edition of the
Assessment and Management of Pain guideline on building the general core competencies (the skills and practices)
of nurses for effective assessment and management of pain, without focusing on either the type or origin of pain.
The expert panel supported the focus groups recommendation.
It is important to acknowledge that personal preferences and unique needs, and the resources available, must
always be considered in the delivery of care. This document is intended to assist nurses and other members of the
interprofessional team to focus on evidence-based strategies in the context of the provider-client relationship. Also,
competencies vary among nurses and among the different categories of nursing professionals.
We expect individual nurses will perform only the care they have the education and experience to offer. Every nurse
should consult when a persons care needs surpass their ability to act independently (College of Nurses Of Ontario [CNO], 2011).
Other factors that will affect the use of this guideline include each organizations policies and procedures, government
legislation, different health-care sectors and the client population. This edition of the guideline is designed to apply to
all domains of nursing practice, including clinical, administration, and education, to assist nurses to become more
comfortable, confident and competent when caring for persons with the presence, or risk of, any type of pain.
It is important that nurses, in collaborating with their interprofessional team, know and work with people, their
families and caregivers to promote safe and effective strategies for assessing, managing and preventing pain. Effective
prevention and management of pain depends on coordinated interprofessional careG that emphasizes ongoing
communication among professionals and the people seeking their services.
Our reference list and appendices (including a glossary, a description of how the guideline was developed and details
on our literature search) follow the main guideline.
Summary of Recommendations
BACKGROUND
This guideline is a new edition of, and replaces Assessment and Management of Pain. (RNAO, 2007)
We have used these symbols for the recommendations:

No change was made to the recommendation as a result of the systematic reviewG evidence.
The recommendation and supporting evidence were updated with systematic review evidence.
NEW A new recommendation was developed based on evidence from the systematic review.
LEVEL OF
EVIDENCE
PRACTICE RECOMMENDATIONSG
1.0
Assessment
Recommendation 1.1
Ib
Ib
III
III
IIa
Screen for the presence, or risk of, any type of pain:

On
admission or visit with a health-care professional;

After
a change in medical status; and

Prior
to, during and after a procedure.
Recommendation 1.2
Perform a comprehensive pain assessment on persons screened
having the presence, or risk of, any type of pain using a systematic
approach and appropriate, validated tools.
Recommendation 1.3
Perform a comprehensive pain assessment on persons unable to
self-report using a validated tool.
Recommendation 1.4
Explore the persons beliefs, knowledge and level of understanding
about pain and pain management.
Recommendation 1.5
Document the persons pain characteristicsG.
BACKGROUND
2.0
Planning
Recommendation 2.1
LEVEL OF
EVIDENCE
Ib
NEW
III
Ib
Ib
Ib
Collaborate with the person to identify their goals for pain

management and suitable strategies to ensure a comprehensive
approach to the plan of care.
Recommendation 2.2
Establish a comprehensive plan of care that incorporates the goals
of the person and the interprofessional team and addresses:
3.0
Implementation
Assessment findings;
The persons beliefs and knowledge and level of understanding; and
The persons attributesG and pain characteristics.
Recommendation 3.1
Implement the pain management plan using principles that maximize
efficacy and minimize the adverse effects of pharmacological
interventions including:

Multimodal analgesic approach;
Changing of opioids (dose or routes) when necessary;
Prevention, assessment and management of adverse effects during

the administration of opioid analgesics; and
Prevention, assessment and management of opioid risk.
Recommendation 3.2
Evaluate any non-pharmacological (physical and psychological)
interventions for effectiveness and the potential for interactionsG
with pharmacological interventions.
Recommendation 3.3
Teach the person, their family and caregivers about the pain
management strategies in their plan of care and address known
concerns and misbeliefsG.
4.0
Evaluation
Recommendation 4.1
IIb
IIb
BACKGROUND
LEVEL OF
EVIDENCE
Reassess the persons response to the pain management interventions

consistently using the same re-evaluation tool. The frequency of
reassessments will be determined by:

Presence of pain;
Pain intensity;
Stability of the persons medical condition;
Type of pain e.g. acute versus persistent; and
Practice setting.
Recommendation 4.2
Communicate and document the persons responses to the pain
management plan.
LEVEL OF
EVIDENCE
EDUCATION RECOMMENDATIONSG
5.0
Education
Recommendation 5.1
IIb
IIb
Ib
NEW
Educational institutions should incorporate this guideline, Assessment

and Management of Pain (3rd ed.), into basic and interprofessional
curricula for registered nurses, registered practical nurses and doctor
of medicine programs to promote evidence-based practice.
Recommendation 5.2
Incorporate content on knowledge translation strategies into
education programs for health-care providers to move evidence related
to the assessment and management of pain into practice.
Recommendation 5.3
Promote interprofessional education and collaboration related to the
assessment and management of pain in academic institutions.
LEVEL OF
EVIDENCE
BACKGROUND
EDUCATION RECOMMENDATIONSG ...cont

Recommendation 5.4
IV
Health-care professionals should participate in continuing education

opportunities to enhance specific knowledge and skills to competently
assess and manage pain, based on this guideline, Assessment and
Management of Pain (3rd ed.).
ORGANIZATION AND POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS

6.0
Organization
and policy
Recommendation 6.1:
LEVEL OF
EVIDENCE
IV
IIb
III
IV
Establish pain assessment and management as a strategic clinical priority.

Recommendation 6.2:
Establish a model of care to support interprofessional collaboration for
the effective assessment and management of pain.
Recommendation 6.3:
Use the knowledge translation process and multifaceted strategies
within organizations to assist health-care providers to use the best
evidence on assessing and managing pain in practice.
Recommendation 6.4:
Use a systematic organization-wide approach to implement
Assessment and Management of Pain (3rd ed.) best practice guideline
and provide resources and organizational and administrative supports
to facilitate uptake.
10
Interpretation of Evidence
BACKGROUND
Levels of Evidence
Ia
Evidence obtained from meta-analysis or systematic reviews of randomized controlled trialsG.
Ib
Evidence obtained from at least one randomized controlled trial.
IIa
Evidence obtained from at least one well-designed controlled study without randomization.
IIb
Evidence obtained from at least one other type of well-designed quasi- experimental study,
without randomization.
III
Evidence obtained from well-designed non-experimental descriptive studies, such as

comparative studies, correlation studies and case studies.
IV
Evidence obtained from expert committee reports or opinions and/or clinical experiences of
respected authorities.
Adapted from Annex B: Key to evidence statements and grades of recommendations, by the Scottish Intercollegiate
Guidelines Network (SIGN), 2012, in SIGN 50: A Guideline Developers Handbook. Available from http://www.sign.
ac.uk/guidelines/fulltext/50/annexb.html
11
BACKGROUND

Expert Panel
Judy Watt-Watson, RN, MSc, PhD
Cline Glinas, RN, PhD
Panel Co-Chair
Professor Emeritus
The Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing,
University of Toronto
President, Canadian Pain Society
Senior Fellow, Massey College, University of Toronto
Toronto, Ontario
Assistant Professor
Ingram School of Nursing
McGill University
Researcher and Nurse Scientist
Centre for Nursing Research and Lady Davis Institute
Jewish General Hospital
Montreal, Quebec
Denise Harrison, RN, PhD
Nicholas Joachimides, RN, BScN, CRN(c), MCISC
Panel Co-Chair
Chair in Nursing Care of Children, Youth and Families
Childrens Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) and
University of Ottawa
Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Australia;
Honorary Research Fellow
The University of Melbourne Faculty of Medicine,
Dentistry & Health
Sciences, Australia; Honorary Senior Fellow
Ottawa, Ontario
Clinical Educator
Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital
Toronto, Ontario
Janette Byrne, RN, BScN, CHPCN(C)
Assistant Professor
Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing
Toronto, Ontario
Palliative Pain and Symptom Management,

Consultation Program
Nurse Educator
St. Josephs Health Centre
London, Ontario
Marg Cutrara, RN, MSN

PPSM Consultant, Clinical Nurse Consultant,
Hospice Palliative Care
Southlake Regional Health Centre
Newmarket, Ontario
Darlene Davis, RN, MN

Health Services Manager, Pain Services
Capital District Health Authority
Halifax, Nova Scotia
12
Salima S. J. Ladak, RN(EC), MN

Nurse Practitioner, Acute Pain Service Toronto
General Hospital
Coordinator, UHN Pain APN Network
Toronto, Ontario
Shirley Musclow, RN(EC), MN
Lori Palozzi, RN(EC), MScN, NP

NP- Pediatrics,
Anaesthesia Pain Service
The Hospital for Sick Children
Toronto, Ontario
Brenda Poulton, RN, MN, NP

NP Pain Management (Acute Pain Service)
Royal Columbian Hospital Fraser Health
New Westminster, British Columbia
Registered Nurses Association of Ontario Expert Panel ...cont

Jennifer Stinson, RN, PhD, CPNP
Nurse Practitioner, Acute Pain Service

North York General Hospital
Toronto, Ontario
Scientist, Child Health Evaluative Sciences

Nurse Practitioner, Chronic Pain Program
Assistant Professor, Lawrence S. Bloomberg,
Faculty of Nursing,
Toronto, Ontario
BACKGROUND
Mona Sawhney, RN(EC), MN, PhD
Declarations of interest and confidentiality were made by all members of the

Registered Nurses Association of Ontario expert panel.
Further details are available from the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario.
13
BACKGROUND

Best Practice Guideline Program Team
Brenda Dusek, RN, BN, MN
Grace Suva, RN, MN
Team Lead
Program Manager
International Affairs and Best Practice Guidelines Centre
Toronto, Ontario
Program Manager
International Affairs and Best Practice
Guidelines Centre
Toronto, Ontario
Anastasia Harripaul, RN, BScN (Hons), MSc(A)
Rita Wilson, RN, MEd, MN
Nursing Research Associate

Toronto, Ontario
eHealth Program Manager

Toronto, Ontario
Monique Lloyd, RN, PhD
Sarah Xiao, RN, BNSc, MSc
Associate Director, Guideline Development,

Research and Evaluation
Toronto, Ontario
Nursing Research Manager

Guidelines Centre
Toronto, Ontario
Andrea Stubbs, BA
Project Coordinator
Guidelines Centre
Toronto, Ontario
14
Stakeholder Acknowledgement
BACKGROUND
StakeholdersG representing diverse perspectives were solicited for their feedback, and the Registered Nurses
Association of Ontario wishes to acknowledge the following individuals for their contribution in reviewing this
Nursing Best Practice Guideline.
Michael Anciado, BSCN
Laura Davies, RN, BScN, BA
Registered Nurse
Hospital for Sick Children
Toronto, Ontario
Registered Nurse
Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital
Toronto, Ontario
Debbie Aylward, RN, BScN, MScN
Sarah Derman, RN, MSN, CPE
Perinatal Consultant
Champlain Maternal Newborn Regional Program
(CMNRP)
President Canadian Association of Neonatal Nurses
Ottawa, Ontario
Clinical Nurse Specialist: Pain Management

Fraser Health, Surgical Program Surrey, British
Columbia
Krista Brecht, RN, BScN, MScN(A)
Clinical Nurse Consultant Palliative Care

Princess Margaret Hospital for Children,
Perth, Western Australia
Clinical Nurse Specialist- Pain Program

McGill University Health Center
Montreal, Quebec
Jillian Brooke, RN, BSc(Hons), MClScWH,

CETN(C)
Advanced Practice Consultant WOC

Saint Elizabeth
Belle River, Ontario
Debbie Bruder, BA, RN, MHS

Clinical Informatics Specialist
Grand River Hospital
Kitchener, Ontario
Dr. Eloise Carr, BSc (Hons), RGN, MSc, PhD

Professor
Faculty of Nursing/Faculty of Graduate Studies
Calgary, Alberta
Heidi Carr, RN, BScN, MAdEd

National Director, Practice & Education
VON Canada
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Stephanie Dowden, RN, Paed Cert, BEd,

MEd, MN(NP)
Beverly Faubert, RN, BScN

RNAO LTC Best Practice Coordinator
Toronto, Ontario
Royanne Gale, RN
Clinical Practice Manager
Red Cross Care Partners
Ontario
Misha Jadoo, RN
Registered Nurse
University Health Network
Toronto, Ontario
Cathy Kiteley, RN, MScN, CONc, CHPCNc

Clinical Nurse Specialist
Trillium Health Partners, Credit Valley Site,
Oncology and Palliative Care
Mississauga, Ontario
15
BACKGROUND
Charlotte Koso, RN, BN, CHPCN(C)
Joshua Shadd, MD, CCFP, MClSc
Director Program Planning and Innovation

Red Cross Care Partners
Waterloo, Ontario
Assistant Professor
Centre for Studies in Family Medicine,
Department of Family Medicine, Schulich School
of Medicine and Dentistry Western University
London, Ontario
Jeff Myers, MD, MSEd, CCFP

Head, Division of Palliative Care,
Department of Family and Community Medicine,
Faculty of Medicine,
Toronto, Ontario
Registered Nurse
Toronto, Ontario
Janice Rae, RN, MN
Kenny Tam, RN, BN, MN
Clinical Nurse Specialist

Alberta Health Services, Calgary Zone Foothills Medical
Centre
Calgary, Alberta
Pain Management Coordinator

Trillium Health Partners, Mississauga Hospital Site
Kathy Reid, RN, MN, NP
Assistant Professor
University of British Columbia, School of Nursing
Vancouver, British Columbia
Nurse Practitioner,
NP Pediatric Chronic Pain Clinic, Co-Chair Pediatric
Pain Management Committee,
Stollery Childrens Hospital Edmonton, Alberta
Jennifer Rizan, RN(EC), MAEd, MN-NP (Adult)

CNS/NP in Pain Management
Lakeridge Health Oshawa, Ontario
Yvonne Rowe Samadhin, RN, BScN, MN,

CHPCN(C)
Advanced Practice Nurse, Palliative Care

Mississauga Halton Community Care Access Centre
Jason Sawyer, RN-EC, BScN, MN, (BC)

Board Certified-Pain Management
Nurse Practitioner, Acute Pain Service Sunnybrook
Health Sciences Centre Toronto, Ontario
16
Christine H St-Denis, RN, BSc, BScN
Tarnia Taverner, PhD, MSc, RN
Rosemary Wilson, RN(EC), PhD

Assistant Professor, Nurse Practitioner
Queens University, School of Nursing
Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative
Medicine Kingston General Hospital,
Hotel Dieu Hospital
Kingston, Ontario
Nahal Yazdani, RN, BScN

Registered Nurse
Rogers House
Ottawa, Ontario
Lynne E. Young, PhD, RN

Professor
University of Victoria School of Nursing
Victoria, British Columbia
Background
BACKGROUND
WHAT IS PAIN?
Pain is defined as an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage
or described in terms of such damage (International Association for the Study of Pain [IASP], 2012a). This definition recognizes both
the physiologic and affective nature of the pain experience. Pain can be classified by these types:
a) nociceptiveG pain, which is considered a warning signal that results from actual or threatened damage to
non-neural tissue resulting in the activation of nociceptors in a normal functioning nervous system; or
b) neuropathicG pain, which is a clinical description of pain thought to be caused by damage from a lesion
or disease of the somatosensory nervous system that is confirmed by diagnostic investigations.
Also, pain categories can be based on the location of lesion (somatic, visceral), diagnosis (headache) or duration
(acute, persistent). A person may experience both nociceptive (such as with surgery), and neuropathic pain
(e.g., diabetic neuropathy) at the same time (IASP, 2012a).
Worldwide, unrelieved or poorly managed pain is a burden on the person, the health-care system and society, and pain
is a concern throughout life (Lynch, 2011). Choinire et al. (2010) and Schopflocher, Taenzer, and Jovey (2011) report that
18.9 percent of the population in industrialized nations live with pain. The Canadian Pain Coalitions Pain in Canada
Fact Sheet (2012) says one in five Canadians have moderate to severe persistent (chronic pain), and one-third of those
people have lost the ability to work because of the significant impact of pain on their health and qualityG of life.
Stanford, Chambers, Biesanz, and Chen (2008) found that 15 to 30 percent of children and adolescents experience
recurring or persistent pain; headache is the form of pain they report most. Huguet and Miro (2008) found 5.1
percent of children who report persistent pain experience it at moderate to severe levels. King et al. (2011) and
von Baeyer (2011) report that when the severity of pain and pain-related disability are taken into consideration,
between 5 and 15 percent of children require assistance for their pain and pain-related problems. Persistent pain
has been shown to interfere with childrens activities of daily living, mood and sleep; it can also cause depression,
anxiety and developmental problems (American Medical Directors Association [AMDA], 2012; Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network
[SIGN], 2008; von Baeyer, 2011).
The prevalence of persistent pain has been shown to increase with age, and persistent pain has been identified
in approximately 65 percent of the older adult population (> 65 years of age) living in the community and in 80
percent of older adults living in long-term care (Hadjistavropoulos et al., 2009; Lynch, 2011). Ramage-Morin and Gilmour
(2010) report 1.5 million Canadians (9 percent of men and 12 percent of women) aged 12 to 44 years report
persistent pain. Untreated persistent pain has been identified in people living with cancer and HIV-related
neuropathies (Deandrea, Montanari, Moja, & Apolone, 2008; Phillips, Cherry, Moss, & Rice, 2010).
Inadequate pain management is evident across all ages. Surveys continue to show that neonatal pain is poorly
managed during invasive procedures in intensive care units despite good evidence to support effective pain
management strategies (Johnston, Barrington, Taddio, Carbajal, & Fillion, 2011). A recent survey of children (N=3,822)
admitted to 32 units in eight Canadian pediatric hospitals found 78.2 percent of them had undergone at least one
painful procedure in the previous 24 hours, but only 28.3 percent of those children received a pain management
intervention (Stevens et al., 2011). Inadequate pain management after surgery becomes a persistent pain problem in
19 to 50 percent of adults (Andersen & Kehlet, 2011).
17
BACKGROUND
Effective pain management is a persons right and assessing pain, intervening to ease it, monitoring, preventing
and minimizing it should be top priorities of a persons care, regardless of their diagnosis or type of pain (Jarzyna et
al., 2011). The International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) works to increase the knowledge of health-care
providers each year by focusing on a specific type of pain or related problem. For example, in 2013, IASP focused
on visceral pain, which is the form of pain most frequently associated with ailments such as gallstones; acute
pancreatitis; acute appendicitis; bladder and gynaecological issues. More information on IASPs global year against
pain initiative is available at http://www.iasp-pain.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=About_IASP3&Template=/CM/
HTMLDisplay.cfm&ContentID=1608.
Persistent pain places a physical, emotional and socioeconomic burden on the person with the presence, or risk of,
any type of pain and their families or caregivers (Pompili et al., 2012). Pain is highly subjective and multidimensional
with sensory, cognitive and affective components (IASP, 2012a). Pain management must be person-centred,
multidimensional and comprehensive, taking into consideration the bio-psychosocial, spiritual, and cultural
factors affecting the person. Pain management should be an interprofessional team effort (Cancer Care Ontario, 2008;
Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement [ICSI], 2009). Nurses are required to intervene within their scope of practice to a
persons self-reported pain, and work with the person toward managing the pain appropriately. That means nurses
must have the competencies to assess and manage pain, including knowledge and skills in interviewing techniques,
and the ability to physically assess and manage pain in people who are not able to self report (Herr, Coyne, McCaffery,
Manworren, & Merkel, 2011; Wuhrman & Cooney, 2011).
The RNAO expert panel on Assessment and Management of Pain developed these guiding principles
for this edition of the guideline:
Any person has the right to expect:

Their pain to be acknowledged and respected.
The best possible personalized evidence-based pain assessment and management including relevant
bio-psychosocial components.
Ongoing information and education about the assessment and management of pain.
Involvement as an active participant in their own care in collaboration with the

interprofessional team.
Communication and documentation among interprofessional team members involved in their care
to monitor and manage their pain.
Our expert panel recognized some settings lack the resources to do everything the evidence suggests for complex
pain management. Consequently, this guideline offers recommendations on evidence-based care, which nurses and
other health-care professionals can use as appropriate for their clients. Interprofessional health-care teams should
work closely with those persons, their families and caregivers, to address the complex lifestyle, self-care and multiple
treatment demands that may affect efforts to prevent or manage pain. We acknowledge some levels of pain care will
not always be accessible to everyone. In some places, for example, there may not be a pain specialist, and some pain
management interventions might not be available or affordable for everyone. Nurses can positively influence the
assessment and management pain by promoting and participating in interprofessional health-care teams following
these best practice guidelines.
18
Practice Recommendations
1.0 ASSESSMENT
RECOMMENDATION 1.1:
Screen for the presence, or risk of, any type of pain:
On admission or visit with a health-care professional;
After a change in medical status; and
Prior to, during and after a procedure.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Level of Evidence = Ib
Discussion of Evidence:
Screening for Pain
Nurses have an important role in screening for pain. Randomized controlled trials report screening is essential for
effective pain management (Cancer Care Ontario, 2008; Dewar, 2006; Schofield, OMahony, Collett, & Potter, 2008). Although other
health-care professionals are directly or indirectly involved in the assessment and management of a persons pain,
nurses have the most contact with people receiving health care. This involvement places nurses in a unique position
to screen for pain, and, if the screen is positive, to move forward with a comprehensive assessment of the persons
pain experience.
When conducting a screen for the presence, or risk, of any type of pain, it is important for the nurse to ask directly
about pain rather than assuming the person or their family or caregivers will voluntarily disclose it (American Medical
Directors Association [AMDA], 2012; Royal College of Physicians, British Geriatrics Society and British Pain Society, 2007). Pain is subjective
and people can find it difficult to describe the discomfort and often use other terms to express their pain (IASP, 2012a;
Schofield et al., 2008). The American Medical Directors Association (AMDA) guideline, Pain Management in the Long
Term Care Setting (2012, p. 8), outlines questions that can be adapted to any population and used to detect pain in
persons who are able to self-report such as:
1. Are you feeling any aching or soreness now?
2. Do you hurt anywhere?
3. Are you having any discomfort?
4. Have you taken any medications for pain?
5. Have you any aching or soreness that kept you up at night?
6. Have you had trouble with any of your usual day-to-day activities?
7. How intense is your pain?
19
Routine screening must be considered:

1. On admission or visit with a health-care professional:
It is important to screen for pain on each admission to a health-care setting (acute or long-term care) or visit with
any health-care professional, until it is established that pain is not a focus of care (AMDA, 2012; Cancer Care Ontario, 2008;
RNAO, 2007).
RECOMMENDATIONS
2. After a change in medical status:

The level of pain and intensity of pain experienced by a person can fluctuate over time as health condition and
medical status change, especially with chronic health conditions such as cancer, persistent non-cancer pain,
osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia or advancing age (AMDA, 2012; Cancer Care Ontario, 2008; Cornally & McCarthy, 2011; RNAO, 2007;
Spence et al., 2010).
3. Prior to, during and after a procedure:
People are at risk for acute pain if they undergo procedures known to cause it, such as skin-breaking procedures,
immunization, surgery or drainage tube insertion or removal (Herr, Bursch, Miller, & Swafford, 2010; Hutson, 2009; Taddio et al., 2010).
Neuropathic pain can be a challenge for the interprofessional team to diagnose. A person is at risk of neuropathic pain
if he or she experiences an injury to the central or peripheral nervous system because of trauma or diseases such as
multiple sclerosis and stroke. Early screening by the interprofessional team is important because diagnosing neuropathic
pain may take more investigation to facilitate early management (Bennett et al., 2007). There are screening questionnaires
for neuropathic pain that incorporate the persons signs and symptoms, including the Self-Report Leeds Assessment of
Neuropathic Symptoms and Signs (S-LANSS) (Bennett, Smith, Torrance, & Potter, 2005) and the Douleur Neuropathique 4 (DN4)
(Bouhassira et al., 2005). Both are brief, easy to use, and have established reliability and validity.
RECOMMENDATION 1.2:
Perform a comprehensive pain assessment on persons screened having the presence, or risk of,
any type of pain using a systematic approach and appropriate, validated tools.
Randomized controlled trials report improvement in the persons and interprofessional teams satisfaction with pain
management when comprehensive pain assessments are performed (Goldberg & Morrison, 2007). The development of pain
assessment practices and competencies is supported by the Canadian Pain Society (2010), Accreditation Canada (2011)
and the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) Canadian Registered Nurses Examination Competencies (2012-2015)
(Watt-Watson et al., 2013).
A person who has screened positive for the presence, or risk of, any type of pain requires a further comprehensive
and systematic approach to pain assessment to address:
previous
pain history;
sensory characteristics of
pain (severity, quality, temporal features, location and what makes the pain better or worse);
impact of pain on usual everyday activities (ability to work, sleep, experience enjoyment);
20
psychosocial
impacts of pain on oneself or others (depression, financial); and

used in the past that were found to manage pain effectively (AMDA, 2012; Dewar, 2006; Goldberg & Morrison,
2007; Ontario Cancer Symptom Management Collaborative [OCSMC], 2010; Royal College of Physicians et al., 2007; SIGN, 2008).
interventions
RECOMMENDATIONS
Pain is a multidimensional, subjective phenomenon, so a persons self-report is the most valid way of assessing pain
if the person is able to communicate (Cancer Care Ontario, 2008; OCSMC, 2010; RNAO, 2007; Royal College of Physicians, British Geriatrics
Society & British Pain Society, 2007; SIGN, 2008). Nurses should use a consistent, systematic approach to exploring and assessing
pain. Figure 1 describes an acronym that uses the mnemonic OPQRSTUV to assist nurses and health-care providers
systematically explore and assess people who screened positive for the presence or risk of, any type of pain and who
are able to self-report (OCSMC, 2010).
Figure 1. Adapted Pain Assessment using Acronym O, P, Q, R, S, T, U and V
ONSET
When did it begin? How long does it last? How often does it occur?
PROVOKING/
PALLIATING
What brings it on? What makes it better? What makes it worse?
QUALITY
What does it feel like? Can you describe it?
REGION/RADIATION
Where is it? Does it spread anywhere?
SEVERITY
What is the intensity of the pain? (0n a scale of 0 to 10 with 0 being none and 10 being the worst possible)
Right now? At best? At worst? On average?
TIMING/TREATMENT
Is the pain constant? Does it come and go? Is it worse at any particular time?
What medications and treatments are you currently using?
How effective are these?
Do you have any side effects from the medications and treatments?
UNDERSTANDING/
IMPACT ON YOU
What do you believe is causing the pain?

Are there any other symptoms with this pain?
How is this pain impacting you and your family?
VALUES
What is your goal for this pain? What is your comfort goal or acceptable level for this pain? (On a scale of 0 to
10 with 0 being none and 10 being worst possible)? Are there any other views or feelings about this pain that
is important to you or your family? Is there anything else you would like to say about your pain that has not
been discussed or asked?
REFERENCES:
1. Roberts D., McLeod, B. (2004) Hospice Palliative Care Symptom Assessment Guide and Guideline for Use of the Form. In: Fraser South
Health Region, Editor, (1st ed.): Fraser South Health Region.
2. Jarvis, C., Thomas, P., Strandberg, K. (2000). The Complete Health History. Physical examination and health assessment (3rd ed.), 79-102.
3. McCaffery, M., Pasero, C. (1999). Assessment. Pain: Clinical Manual (2nd ed.). St. Louis: Mosby, 35-102.
4. Pain General Information. (2000). In: Neron A, Editor. Care Beyond Cure A Pharmacotherapeutic Guide to Palliative Care: Pharmacy
Specialty Group on Palliative Care Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists in collaboration with Sabex Inc., 5-8.
5. Bates, B. P., Benjamin, R., Northway, D.I. (2002). PQRST: A mnemonic to communicate a change in condition. Journal of the American
Medical Directors Association, January/February, 3(10), 23-5.
6. Foley, K. M. (2005). Acute and Chronic cancer pain syndromes. In: Doyle, D., Hanks, G., Cherny, N. I., Calman, K., Editors. Oxford Textbook
of Palliative Medicine (3rd ed.). Oxford, England: Oxford University Press, 298-316.
7. Downing GM. Pain Assessment. In: Downing GM, Wainwright W, editors.(2006). Medical Care of the Dying
(4th ed.). Victoria, British Columbia. Canada: Victoria Hospice Society Learning Centre for Palliative Care, 119-58.
8. Part I Physical Symptoms. In: Peden J, deMoissac D, MacMillan K, Mushani-Kanji T, Editors. (2006). 99 Common Questions (and more)
about hospice palliative care. A nurses handbook (3rd Ed.). Edmonton, Alberta: Regional Palliative Care Program, Capital Health, 2-96.
9. Muir J. Unrelieved Pain. Nursing B.C. 2006, October, 38(4), 22-5.
Figure 1. Note: Adapted from Symptom Assessment Acronym OPQRSTUV, in Fraser Health Authority, 2012, Hospice Palliative Care Program Symptom
Guidelines. Retrieved from http://www.fraserhealth.ca/home/.
21
Other considerations when assessing for pain:
RECOMMENDATIONS
A pain assessment can be more thorough and individualized by knowing the person and by taking into consideration
their attributes or characteristics (McAuliffe, Nay, ODonnell, & Fetherstonhaugh, 2009). Nurses must be aware that a comprehensive
pain assessment is influenced by factors including the persons illness or level of disability (i.e., pain is experienced
in multiple areas), age, developmental stage, education level or cognitive status, ability to communicate, cultureG,
ethnicity, biology, previous experiences with pain and reluctance to report pain (Brown, McCormack, & McGarvey, 2005; Curry-Narayan,
2010; Dewar, 2006; Shepherd, Woodgate, & Sawatzky, 2010). Spirituality must also be considered, as it may influence a persons
beliefs and behaviour around pain. It is important for nurses to assess whether those factors would influence how a
person reports pain and whether they would seek help for it. (Curry Narayan, 2010).
Unidimensional and multidimensional self-report tools:
It is important to use tools for assessing pain that can be easily understood by the person and their family or
caregivers (McAuliffe et al., 2009; Royal College of Nursing [RCN], 2009). Which tool a nurse chooses will depend on the persons
characteristics including age, ability to verbalize, clinical condition, cognitive or developmental level, literacy, ability
to communicate, culture and ethnicity (Brown et al., 2005; Curry Narayan, 2010; Dewar, 2006; McAuliffe et al. 2009; Schofield et al., 2008;
Zhou, Roberts, & Horgan, 2008). A pain scale developed for children in acute care may not be appropriate for older adults
in long-term care. The person who is being assessed should have the tool being used explained to them (RCN, 2009).
Many pain assessment tools have been translated and validated for use in different languages.
Comprehensive assessment includes determining the quality and severity (intensity) of pain. Self-report tools may be
uni-dimensional, looking only at one aspect of pain such as intensity (Numerical Rating Scale [NRS 0-10], categorical
scale or Faces Pain Scale-Revised) or multidimensional (Brief Pain Inventory [BPI] or the McGill Pain Questionnaire
Short-Form [MPQ-SF]). Multidimensional tools are particularly useful when more comprehensive pain assessment
is required. Table 1 outlines the criteria typically used to select a validated pain assessment tool. Refer to Appendix E,
which lists validated pain assessment tools (unidimensional and multidimensional) for specific populations/groups.
The chart briefly outlines the tools pain indicators, components and any special considerations.
22
Table 1. Selecting a Pain Assessment Tool

Pain assessment tools must be:
Reliable consistent and trustworthy ratings, regardless of time, setting or who is administering
the measure.
Valid degree to which the evidence and theory supports the interpretation of the scores:
the instrument truly measures the intended target (pain) it was created to measure.
Responsive able to detect change in pain due to the implemented pain management
interventions.
Feasible to use simple and quick to use, requiring a short training time and are easy to administer
and score.
Practical assessing different types of pain when possible; some tools (such as those for neuropathic
pain) are very specific.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The tool should also be:

Developmentally and culturally appropriate for the population it is designed for;
Available in various languages or easily translatable;
Easily and quickly understood by the person;
Liked by persons, clinicians and researchers using it;
Easy to obtain, reproduce, and distribute; and
Able to be disinfected if touched by a person.
Developed by RNAO Expert Panel
23
For children, previous pain should be assessed using input from both the child and their parents or caregivers (RCN, 2009).
Table 2 illustrates an approach to obtaining a pain history for children (it can be adapted for use with adults).
RECOMMENDATIONS
Table 2. Pain History for Children with Acute Pain

CHILDS QUESTIONS
PARENTS QUESTIONS
Tell me what pain is
What word(s) does your child use in regard to pain?
Tell me about the hurt you have had before
Describe the pain experiences your child has

had before.
Do you tell others when you hurt? If yes, who?
Does your child tell you or others when he or she

is hurting?
What do you want to do for yourself when

you are hurting?
How do you know when your child is in pain?
What do you want others to do for you when

you are hurt?
How does your child usually react to pain?
What dont you want others to do for you

when you hurt?
What do you do for your child when he or she

is hurting?
What helps the most to take your hurt away?
What does your child do for him- or herself when

he or she is hurting?
Is there anything special that you want me to know

about when you hurt? (If yes, have child describe)
What works best to decrease or take away your

childs pain?
Is there anything special that you would like
me to know about your child and pain? (If yes,
describe).
Note. From Pain Assessment, by J. Stinson, 2009, in A. Twycross, S. Dowden & E. Bruce (Eds.), Managing Pain in Children: A Clinical Guide (2nd ed.), p. 86.
Retrieved from http://books.google.ca/books?id=DO91eoZ2xgMC&pg=PA86&dq=Hester+%26amp;+Barcus+1986;+Hester+et+al.+1998)+childs+questions
&hl=en&sa=X&ei=OrCjUNjkO-KniQKV5IDQAQ&ved=0CDIQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Hester%20&f=false. Copyright 2009 by Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Reprinted with permission.
NOTE: Children with persistent pain require a more detailed pain history which includes:

a description of the pain,

associated symptoms,
temporal or seasonal variations,
impact on daily living (school, sport, play and self-care), and
pain relief measures used.

24
Algorithms and care bundlesG:

Algorithms and best-practice care bundles (i.e., small sets of evidence-based practices known to improve outcomes)
help guide pain assessment in special populations such as children with acute or persistent pain (The Hospital for Sick
Children, Pain Matters Working Group [Leads: F. Campbell & L. Palozzi], 2013), the older adult (Schofield et al., 2008) and the critically ill
adult (Barr et al., 2013). Several examples of these are provided in the appendices. Refer to Appendix F, which provides
an algorithm to assess pain in hospitalized children; Appendix G, details an algorithm to assess pain in adults with
cancer. Refer to Appendix H, which presents a care bundle to assess and manage pain in critically ill adults.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Validated self-report tools, algorithms and care bundles effectively guide pain assessment. Nurses are responsible for
accurately interpreting the assessment and promptly acting on the results. Refer to Appendix D, which contains a list
of websites with resources on pain assessment and management.
RECOMMENDATION 1.3:
Perform a comprehensive pain assessment on persons unable to self-report using a validated tool.
Level of Evidence = III
Not everyone is able to talk about their pain. People who are unable to talk or self-report may include:

Neonates, infants and preverbal children;

Older adults with cognitive impairment (such as advanced dementia);
Persons with intellectual disability;
Critically ill or unconscious persons; and
Persons who are terminally ill (Herr et al., 2011).
It is important to understand the inability to describe pain does not mean a person is not experiencing it. Assessing pain
in people who are unable to express it is critical to appropriate care (Herr et al., 2011; IASP, 2012b).
Here are the steps to follow when someone cannot report their pain:
1) Attempt to have the person self-report.
It is always important to determine if self-report is possible, allowing people sufficient time to respond (Herr et al., 2011).
A simple yes or no answer, or behavioural cues such as nodding or pointing to the assessment tool to indicate the
presence or absence of pain is a valid way for a person to describe pain.
2) If a person is unable to self-report, rely on behavioural indicators or behavioural pain scales validated for the specific
population they belong to and the context.
Behavioural pain scales are recommended when self-reporting pain is not possible (Herr et al., 2011). The nurse must
select a pain scale that has been validated for use in the targeted population and context (Streiner & Norman, 2008). Several
examples of behavioural pain assessment tools or scales are provided in the appendices. Refer to Appendix I, which
provides examples of pain assessment tools validated for use in neonates and infants; Appendix J, outlines tools for
25
use in children; and Appendix K, details tools for use in adults. Refer to Appendix L, which presents a validated pain
assessment tool for use in nonverbal, critically ill adults; and Appendix M, which provides some tools validated for
use in elders with cognitive impairment.
3) Obtain proxy reporting from family or caregivers about potential behaviour that may indicate pain.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Proxy reporting from people who know the person well can help the nurse detect changes in behaviour that
may indicate the presence of pain (Herr et al., 2011). However, family and caregivers proxy reports of pain intensity
(i.e., 0 - 10 Numerical Rating Scale NRS) have been shown to be inaccurate (Herr et al., 2011; Zhou et al., 2008). Therefore,
it is important to combine proxy pain assessments with other evidence such as the results of direct observation with
validated behavioural pain scales, the persons diagnosis, findings from their health history and physical examination
(Herr et al., 2010; Zwakhalen, Hamers, Abu-Saad, & Berger, 2006).
4) Minimize emphasis on vital signs because they do not discriminate pain from other sources of distress (Herr et al., 2011).
Vital signs such as heart rate, blood pressure and respiratory rate should not be the sole source of information on
the presence of pain. Studies using these vital signs to indicate the presence of pain in neonates, infants, children,
adolescents and adults all have inconsistent findings. Herr et al. (2011) reported vital signs are not necessarily
associated with self-reports of pain; they observed vital signs increasing, decreasing or remaining stable during
painful procedures. Vital signs are easily accessible to nurses, but should only be part of a persons comprehensive
pain assessment (Barr et al., 2013; Herr et al., 2011).
Validated behavioural tools are also only one component of a comprehensive pain assessment. In the absence of
a self-report, the interpretation of a persons observed behaviour and proxy reporting from family and caregivers
may not provide information on the presence, quality and intensity of the pain (Herr et al., 2010). Refer to Appendix M,
which outlines examples of pain assessment tools for use in elders with cognitive impairment that help to identify if
pain is present but do not allow for the assessment of pain intensity.
RECOMMENDATION 1.4:
Explore the persons beliefs, knowledge and level of understanding about pain and pain
management.
People with pain have certain beliefs about pain-related practices shaped by their past pain experiences, age,
education, culture or ethnicity, and gender (Bell & Duffy, 2009; Cornally & McCarthy, 2011; Watt-Watson, Stevens, Streiner, Garfinkel, &
Gallop, 2001). A persons beliefs about pain often influence whether they will seek help for it and what strategies they
will accept to manage it (Curry-Narayan, 2010; Peter & Watt-Watson, 2002). Difficulties arise when a person makes decisions
based on erroneous beliefs formed by a lack of understanding and incomplete knowledge of pain.
A review of the literature by Al-Atiyyat (2008) highlights eight pain-related beliefs and concerns that prevent persons
with cancer from reporting pain and taking medication:
26
1) fear of addiction;
2) concern about drug toleranceG;
3) belief that adverse effects from analgesics are even more bothersome than pain;
4) fatalism (i.e., a resigned attitude) about the possibility of achieving pain control;
5) belief that good patients do not complain about pain;
6) fear of distracting a physician from treating the disease;
RECOMMENDATIONS
7) belief that pain signifies disease progression; and

8) fear of injections.
Despite explanations or evidence to the contrary, misbeliefs about pain are often accepted as truth and are barriers
to assessing and managing pain effectively. Nurses need to ask questions to uncover a persons beliefs and concerns
about pain.
Misbeliefs about pain are common. Health-care providers need to be aware of these misbeliefs and the facts about
the assessment and management of pain. Tables 3 and 4 outline some common misbeliefs and facts about pain
assessment and management for infants and children, and for adults and older persons.
Table 3. Misbeliefs and Facts About Infant and Childrens Pain
MISBELIEF
FACT
Infants nervous systems are

immature and not capable of
pain perception.
Infants have the anatomical and functional requirements for

pain processing by mid to late gestation. Newborn infants are
capable of the sensory-discriminative aspects of pain experience.
Infants are less sensitive to pain

than older children and adults.
Term neonates have the same sensitivity to pain as older infants

and children. In fact preterm neonates have a greater sensitivity
to pain than term neonates or older children.
Infants are incapable of

remembering therefore pain
should have no lasting effects.
Repetitive exposure to pain may have cumulative effects and

early exposure to significant pain may permanently affect
childrens perceptions of, and reactions to, subsequent pain.
Infants must learn about pain

from experience.
Pain requires no prior experience and is not learned. Pain is

present with the first insult.
27
RECOMMENDATIONS
MISBELIEF
FACT
Infants and young children are

incapable of expressing pain. If
they are able to express pain,
their pain cannot be assessed.
Although infants cannot verbalize pain they respond with

behavioural cues and physiological indicators that can be
accurately assessed. The most reliable approach in infants is
facial expression. The most valid approach is through the use of
a composite pain measure. Children as young as 3 years of age
can use pain scales and by 4 years of age they can accurately
point to the body area that hurts.
Opioids are more dangerous for

infants and children than they
are for adults (termed opioid
phobia).
Infants older than one month of age metabolize drugs in the

same manner as older infants and children. Careful selection
of appropriate dose and dosing schedule, as well as frequent
monitoring for desired and undesired effects, can minimize the
potential adverse effects of. Addiction to opioids used to treat
pain is extremely rare in children.
(Anand, 1999; Anand & Craig, 1996; Craig,1998; Brummelte et al., 2012; Coskun & Anand, 2000; Morrison, 1991; Pattinson & Fitzgerald, 2004; Slater et al.,
2010; Stinson et al., 2006; van Dijk & Tibboel, 2012; Yaster, Krane, Kaplan, Cote, & Lappe, 1997)
Table 4. Misbeliefs and Facts about Pain Assessment in Adults and Older Persons
28
MISBELIEFS
FACTS
People should expect to have

considerable unrelieved pain
with procedures such as surgery.
Unrelieved severe acute pain has pathophysiological consequences

involving respiratory, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, immune,
neurological, musculoskeletal systems (Middleton, 2003) and may
cause long-term pain (Kehlet, Jensen, & Woolf, 2006).
People who are in pain always

have observable signs that are
more reliable than their own
self-reports.
Physiological adaptations occur quickly and should not be used

instead of self-report when the latter is available (Arbour & Glinas, 2010).
People will tell us when they are

in pain and will use the
term pain.
People will not necessarily tell us when they are in pain and may
not use the word pain (Watt-Watson et al., 2004).
FACTS
People who use opioids for pain

are addicts.
Opioids are a standard management intervention for moderate

to severe pain with surgery, cancer, and persistent non-cancer
pain (PNCP). Guidelines and screening tools are available
at http://nationalpaincentre.mcmaster.ca/opioid/ to insure
appropriate prescribing and administration with PNCP.
Pain is directly proportional to

the tissue injury.
Pain is multidimensional and influenced by many factors so each

persons response to the same type of surgery, trauma or disease
is individual and variable (Woolf, 2004).
Pain is a normal part of getting

older and can never be very
intense, pain sensation decreases
with age.
Persistent pain is not a normal part of aging. The intensity

and sensation of pain does not decrease in older persons.
Inadequate pain management of potential or actual pain in
older persons has numerous consequences (McAuliffe et al., 2009;
Schofield et al., 2008).
Pain cannot be assessed

with older persons who are
cognitively impaired.
Older people with mild to moderate cognitive impairment are

able to use scales adapted for their needs such as categorical
numerical scales (Herr et al., 2011; McAuliffe et al., 2009; Schofield et al., 2008).
RECOMMENDATIONS
MISBELIEFS
Note. Adapted with permission from Misbeliefs about pain, by J. Watt-Watson, 1992, in J. Watt-Watson & M. Donovan (eds.), Pain management: Nursing
Perspective, p. 36-58. St. Louis, MO: Mosby, Inc. Copyright Elsevier (1992).
People and their families or caregivers need help to understand that unrelieved severe acute pain can cause longterm pain problems that affect body functioning (systemic, hormonal, metabolic, immunologic, physiological,
cardiovascular and pulmonary function responses) (Anand et al., 2006; Kehlet et al., 2006; Oakes, 2011; Meeker, Finnell, & Othman,
2011). For example, it is assumed that pain is experienced when a person undergoes surgery. The expectation that
some level of discomfort will occur often results in persons not asking health-care providers for pain management
such as a prescription for analgesic (Watt-Watson et al., 2004). People need to be encouraged to communicate moderate
to severe post-surgical pain because it interferes with deep breathing and limits movement, which can lead to other
health issues such as pneumonia and delayed recuperation. Under- reporting of pain by persons can lead health-care
professionals to underestimate it (Dewar, 2006; Schofield et al., 2008).
We encourage you to look at the tool for pain history for children presented in Recommendation 1.2, Table 2. The
questions in the tool can be used by the nurse and interprofessional team to explore the knowledge, beliefs, needs
and concerns of children and their parents and caregivers regarding pain and its management.
29
RECOMMENDATION 1.5:
Document the persons pain characteristics.
Level of Evidence = IIa
RECOMMENDATIONS
Screening and assessment findings must be documented and communicated to everyone involved in a persons health
care for optimal pain prevention and management (Crowe et al., 2008). Screening and comprehensive assessment of pain
provides both subjective and objective data, from self reports and assessment tools. This information about the
persons pain characteristics (such as pain history; sensory characteristics [intensity, quality, temporal features, location
and what makes the pain better or worse]; impacts of pain on everyday activities; psychosocial impacts; cultural beliefs
and effective interventions used to manage pain), when documented and communicated, can assist the team to make
effective clinical judgments about the status of a persons pain and create an individualized plan of care to prevent or
minimize it (Curry Narayan, 2010; RNAO, 2007). In follow-up, this information also provides baseline data to compare the
results of future reassessments.
2.0 PLANNING
RECOMMENDATION 2.1:
Collaborate with the person to identify their goals for pain management and suitable
strategies to ensure a comprehensive approach to the plan of care.
It is important to prevent, anticipate and manage pain whenever possible. Pain management interventions should
aim to reduce the severity of pain and aim to improve function, sleep and overall quality of life (LeFort, Gray-Donald, Rowat,
& Jeans, 1998; Moulin et al., 2007). A pain management plan must be based on findings from the persons assessment and
incorporate the persons goals and effective and suitable pain-management strategies (American Geriatrics Society Panel on
Pharmacological Management of Persistent Pain in Older Persons [AGS], 2009; Dewar, 2006; RNAO, 2007; SIGN, 2008).
Persons with the presence, or risk of, any type of pain must be involved in decisions about interventions proposed
to manage their pain, and the strategies adopted for the plan of care must be tailored to meet the persons goals
(needs and priorities) and preferences (Schofield & Reid, 2006). Randomized controlled trials report significant outcomes
when nurses, the interprofessional team and the person and their family and caregivers collaborate in developing a
comprehensive pain-management approach combining pharmacological (multimodal analgesic approach) and nonpharmacological interventions such as physiotherapy and psychological (cognitive behavioural therapy ) (Cancer Care
Ontario, 2008; LeFort et al., 1998; Moulin et al., 2007; National Opioid Use Guideline Group, 2010).
30
RECOMMENDATIONS
It is not uncommon for persons with the presence, or risk of, any type of pain to use complimentary or alternative
therapies, such as acupuncture, homeopathy and naturopathy, along with conventional non-pharmacological
interventions such as physiotherapy or psychological therapy. Brown et al. (2005) suggest that health-care providers
consider the use of both traditional and non traditional non-pharmacologic strategies to optimize the management of
persistent pain, help reduce the intensity of pain and minimize the amount of pharmacological intervention required
(AGS, 2009; AMDA, 2012). It is important to discuss the persons preferred pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic pain
management choices, to determine what they intend or are able to use and encourage them to comply with suitable
interventions (Curry-Narayan, 2010). When a person is not able to participate in the discussions (i.e., infant, child or
cognitive impairment), their family and caregivers would advocate for suitable interventions to manage pain based
on what they know about the person and the situation.
RECOMMENDATION 2.2:
Establish a comprehensive plan of care that incorporates the goals of the person and the
interprofessional team and addresses:
Assessment findings;
The persons beliefs and knowledge and level of understanding; and
The persons attributes and pain characteristics.

Establishing a pain-management plan based on the findings from the assessment and incorporating the persons beliefs
and goals is important for minimizing pain and distress (Curry Narayan, 2010; RNAO, 2007).
After collaboration to ascertain the persons goals and preferences for the proposed pain-management strategies (i.e.,
willingness or intention to use), the interprofessional team must consider the potential for cross-therapy interactionsG.
The team caring for the person must consult with experts (such as a psychologist, psychiatrist, physiotherapist,
occupational therapist and social worker) when devising and implementing combinations of pharmacological,
physical, and psychological therapies (Crowley et al., 2011; Schofield & Reid, 2006; Uman, Chambers, McGrath, & Kisely, 2006).
Each persons attributes (age, developmental stage, health condition, culture) and pain characteristics must be
considered before strategies are proposed and incorporated into pain management plans (Curry-Narayan, 2010; Wilson-Smith,
2011). Untreated pain in infants and children, for example, places them at risk of adverse effects and long-term health
and wellness problems (Cignaccio et al., 2007; RCN, 2009; Wilson-Smith, 2011). Therefore nurses must use strategies appropriate
for the childs age and development (refer to Appendix N) to assess and manage his or her pain (Spence et al., 2010). Table
5 identifies some other key assessment and pain management considerations based on population groups: preterm and
newborn infants; infants and young children; and older adult.
31
RECOMMENDATIONS
Table 5. Pain In Special Populations

POPULATION
KEY CONSIDERATIONS
Preterm and
Newborn
Infants
Preterm and sick infants are exposed to numerous painful procedures during their
hospitalization. Prevention and consistent management of pain is important to
reduce adverse effects affiliated with repeated painful procedures. When planning
drug dose, infant weight must be taken into consideration.
Infants
and Young
Children
Both sick and healthy infants and young children are exposed to multiple painful
procedures during hospitalization and early childhood immunizations. Young
children lack understanding and coping skills and often exhibit high levels of pain,
distress and fear.
Consistent effective management of pain caused by needles has the potential to
reduce subsequent fear of medical care. Strategies are available to reduce pain and
distress associated with immunization in infants and children.
Older Adult
The older adult may experience communication challenges associated with:

Under reporting of pain,
Speaking a different language, and
Communication barriers (aphasia, cognitive impairments such as dementia,

visual and hearing impairments).
When planning pharmacological interventions, the impact of age-related changes

such as co-morbidities, co-existent diseases and use of multiple medications must
be considered, as they put the older adult at high risk for medication-related
adverse events.
Critically ill
Many critically ill patients are unable to self-report due to multiple factors such
as mechanical ventilation, administration of high doses of sedative agents,
and altered levels of consciousness. In addition to their reason for admission
often related to pain, they are exposed to many painful procedures during
hospitalization in a critical care unit. A high proportion of critically ill patients
experience moderate to severe pain. Therefore, pain management includes the use
of opioids, mainly through parenteral route. Continuous monitoring of physiologic
parameters is necessary to ensure adequate surveillance of patients. Moreover,
multi-modal approaches are strongly recommended but have to be carefully
established taking according to the complex patients condition and use of other
medications. Non-pharmacological interventions are also suggested to maximize
pain relief.
(AMDA, 2012; AGS, 2009; Barr et al., 2013; Herr et al., 2011; Pillai Riddell et al., 2011; Stevens et al., 2011; Taddio et al., 2010)
32
3.0 IMPLEMENTATION
RECOMMENDATION 3.1:
Implement the pain management plan using principles that maximize efficacy and minimize
the adverse effects of pharmacological interventions including:
Multimodal analgesic approach;
Changing of opioids (dose or routes) when necessary;
Prevention, assessment and management of adverse effects during the administration of
opioid analgesics; and
Prevention, assessment and management of opioid risk.

RECOMMENDATIONS
Multimodal analgesic approach
Randomized controlled trials report the effectiveness of a multimodal analgesic approach for pain management.
A multimodal analgesic approach or pharmacologic intervention includes non-opioid analgesics such as non-steroidal
anti-inflammatory drugs [NSAIDs]; opioids (e.g., morphine) and adjuvantG medications (e.g., antidepressants,
anticonvulsants, anaesthetic agents) that act through different mechanisms to modulate a persons pain (Cancer Care
Ontario, 2008; AMDA, 2012; OCSMC, 2010; SIGN, 2008; Vargas-Schaffer, 2010). Nurses work with the interprofessional team to adjust
the type, dose, route and scheduling of medications based on the persons response. This type of approach maximizes
analgesic efficacy and can reduce overall opioid use whilst minimizing adverse effects (RNAO, 2007; Vargas-Schaffer, 2010).
To maximize efficacy and minimize the adverse effects of a multimodal analgesic approach nurses should use the
following principles to guide practice:
1. Use the most efficacious and least invasive way to administer analgesics.
2. Consider a multimodal analgesic approach to pain management:

Use non-opioids to manage mild to moderate pain (acetaminophen or NSAIDs);

Use opioids in combination with non-opioids to manage moderate to severe pain; and
Use advanced modalities such as patient-controlled analgesia [PCA]G, epiduralG, intrathecalG, and nerve blocks,
which may provide superior analgesia to manage persistent, non-malignant or cancer pain and acute pain
experienced from major surgical procedures or injury (Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists and Faculty of Pain
Medicine [ANZCA], 2010 Vargas-Schaffer, 2010).

In complex pain situations, routine use of non-opioids is not mutually exclusive and may be used in combination
with other modalities.
33
3. Advocate for the most effective dosing schedule, considering the medication(s) duration of onset, effect(s) and
half-life. The optimal analgesia dose is one that effectively relieves pain with minimum adverse effects.
4. Recognize potential contraindications, such as co-morbidities or drug-drug interactions, related to the persons
clinical condition.
5. Titrate any pain medications to achieve the maximum effectiveness whilst minimizing adverse effects. Analgesic
dosing in older adults requires careful titration for optimum pain relief because age-adjusted dosing is not available
for most analgesics (Schofield et al., 2008).
RECOMMENDATIONS
6. Anticipate and manage the adverse effects from pharmacologic interventions. Nursing actions should include:
a. If necessary, initiating treatment in consultation with the team to manage adverse effects. Websites such as Pain
Treatment Topics http://pain-topics.org/ and Fraser Health Hospice Palliative Care Symptom Guidelines at
http://www.fraserhealth.ca/professionals/hospice_palliative_care/ are available to assist with the management
of adverse effects;
b. Review and determine with the interprofessional team and person which pharmacological agent or contributing
factors caused adverse effects; and
c. Educate the person and their family and caregivers on potential adverse effects and strategies used to prevent or
manage them, based on the type effect (nausea, vomiting, or constipation from use of opioids).
7. Consider consulting the interprofessional team or pain-management experts for complex pain situations, such as:
a. Pain that does not respond to standard pain management interventions;
b. Multiple sources of pain;
c. Mixed neuropathic and nociceptive pain;
d. History of substance use disorders (RNAO, 2007; 2009); and
e. Opioid-tolerant persons undergoing procedures or having exacerbations of pain.
Changing opioids (doses or routes)
Opioid analgesics are used in the management of moderate to severe pain and should be available to a person in the
form, route, dose and schedule that best meets a persons needs (RNAO, 2007). To optimize pain management, opioid
analgesics may need to be changed. There are many reasons for changing a persons opioid medication including
unavailability, ineffectiveness, contraindications and adverse effects, preference or cost.
Equianalgesia conversion tables, which list equivalent opioid analgesics, are available to assist health-care providers
to optimize pain management in adults when the opioid analgesic form, route, dose and schedule must be changed.
Equianalgesia tables use morphine sulfate 10mg parenterally (route other than gastrointestinal) as the standard
comparison for other alternative opioid analgesics and doses to produce the equivalent effect (RNAO, 2007). Equianalgesia
conversion tables are for adults, and if the analgesic form, route, dose or schedule is to be changed in children it needs
to be carefully supervised.
34
Nurses should understand the principles of equianalgesia dosing when changing opioid analgesics and refer to their
organizations approved equianalgesia conversion table to ensure substitutions produce the equal and desired pain
management effects (AMDA, 2012; ANZCA, 2010; Patanwala, Keim, & Erstad, 2010; SIGN, 2008).
Prevention, assessment and management of adverse effects during the administration
of opioid analgesics
RECOMMENDATIONS
Nurses need to recognize the variability in each persons response to opioid analgesics (OCSMC, 2010; RNAO, 2007). For
example, RNAO (2007) identifies that nurses should anticipate, and monitor persons taking opioids for common
adverse effects such as nausea, vomiting, constipation and drowsiness. Nurses working with the interprofessional
team should anticipate the potential for adverse effects and institute measures to prevent and manage them.
Sedation can be a common adverse effect when initiating opioids and when increasing opioid doses for pain
management. Sedation generally precedes significant respiratory depression. Gradual increase in sedation is an early
warning sign and a particularly sensitive indicator of impending respiratory depression in the context of opioid
administration (Pasero, 2009; Jarzyna et al., 2011).
Regular serial systematic sedation and respiratory assessments (refer to Appendix O, for an example of a sedation and
respiratory assessment) are recommended to evaluate the persons response during opioid therapy and should be
considered with:

People with no prior use of opioid analgesics, especially during the first 24 hours after initiation;
Increased dose(s) of opioids;
Aggressive titration of opioids;
Concurrent use of medications that depress the central nervous system, for example sedative agents,
benzodiazepines, and antiemetics;
Recent or rapid change in the function of vital organs such as hepatic, renal or pulmonary failure;
Change in opioid medication or route of delivery; and
Pre-existing risk factors for respiratory depression such as obstructive sleep apnea, obesity or existing
cardiopulmonary dysfunction (Jarzyna et al., 2011).
When children receive opioid medications it is very important to assess their alertness. The University of Michigan
Sedation Scale (UMSS) is an example of a tool specifically designed for the monitoring and evaluation of sedation
in children. This allows health-care providers to recognize when a child is approaching over-sedation. This scales
observational and objective measures have been validated for identifying sedation in children, however it is limited
in distinguishing moderate from deep sedation (Malviya, Voepel-Lewis, & Tait, 2006).
Nurses and interprofessional teams must frequently monitor a persons response to opioids to ensure the persons
safety and avoid unintentional sedation and respiratory depression, particularly for people with no prior use of
opioids. Nurses should be aware that opioid induced sedation is not the same as intentional goal directed sedation
used during procedures or in ventilated persons in critical care (Pasero, 2009). In palliative care, opioid induced sedation
is an effect that can occur with use of opioids to control of pain due to a terminal condition.
35
Prevention, assessment and management of opioid risk
RECOMMENDATIONS
The National Opioid Use Guideline Group (NOUGG) (2010) recommends monitoring for misuse of opioids on
implementation for pain management. Signs of misuse include inappropriate escalating doses, use of alternative routes
of delivery and engagement in illegal activities (NOUGG, 2010). An Opioid Risk Tool (ORT) is available in the Canadian
Guideline for Safe and Effective Use of Opioids for Chronic Non-Cancer Pain Part B at http://nationalpaincentre.
mcmaster.ca/opioid/documents.html to identify if a person is low, moderate or high risk for misuse or aberrant
drug-related behaviour based their personal and family history of substance abuse, age, history of preadolescent sexual
abuse, depression and other psychiatric history. Other tools which are in a questionnaire form are the Screener and
Opioid Assessment for Patients with Pain (SOAPP) and Current Opioid Misuse Measure (COMM) which are
also available in the same guideline.
RECOMMENDATION 3.2:
Evaluate any non-pharmacological (physical and psychological) interventions for effectiveness
and the potential for interactionsG with pharmacological interventions.
Non-pharmacological interventions, whether physical, such as physiotherapy or massage, or psychological, such as
cognitive behaviour therapy, are often used with pharmacological interventions to manage pain. The team should
explore the persons beliefs about, and use of, complimentary or alternative forms care (Curry Narayan, 2010). Persons with
the presence, or risk of, any type of pain may have explored and used more non-traditional interventions (also known
as complimentary or alternative therapies) such as acupuncture, homeopathy, naturopathy and application of energy
to manage their pain. Randomized controlled trials report improved outcomes when nurses, collaborating with their
teams, explore the effectiveness of any, physical or psychological intervention being proposed; take into consideration
the persons type of pain, health condition, cultural beliefs and age group; and determine the potential for interactions
with prescribed pharmacologic interventions (Castillo-Bueno et al., 2010; Curry-Narayan, 2010; RNAO, 2007; Schofield et al., 2008;
Wilson-Smith, 2011).
Non-pharmacological interventions
Physical
Physical interventions such as physiotherapy and exercise (Reid et al., 2008), massage (SIGN, 2008; Running & Turnbeaugh, 2011),
and application of heat or cold (RNAO, 2007) should be considered along with pharmacological interventions to reduce
pain, improve sleep, mood and general well-being (RNAO, 2007). When using more specialized interventions (TENS,
acupuncture) consult the appropriate interprofessional team member such as physical therapist or occupational
therapist for assistance (Nnoaham & Kumbang, 2008). Non-pharmacological approaches should not be used as a substitute
for adequate pharmacological management (RNAO, 2007).
36
Psychological
Psychological (psychosocial) interventions such as cognitive behaviour therapy, music, distraction, relaxation
techniquesG and education should be considered in pain management because these interventions affect the way
a person thinks feels and responds to pain (Crowe et al., 2008; OCSMC, 2010; RNAO, 2007; Seers & Carroll, 1998; SIGN, 2008).
Psychological interventions related to education have been shown to assist with coping and enhancing the persons
ability to self-manage to lessen pain (post-operative pain) (Crowe et al., 2008; RNAO, 2007).
The evidence varies on the effectiveness of the following physical and psychological non-pharmacological
interventions when they are used alone or in combination with pharmacological interventions:
RECOMMENDATIONS
Psychological interventions (Dewar, 2006);

Cognitive behavioural therapy (Eccleston, Williams, & Morley, 2013; Schofield & Reid, 2006);
Non-nutritive sucking, touch/massage and swaddling in infants and children up to three years of age (Pillai Riddell
et al., 2011); and
Massage, relaxation, exercise, energy flow and education in older adult (AGS, 2009; Schofield & Reid, 2006).

The effectiveness of non-pharmacological interventions should not be generalized for use in all persons and only
be proposed based on the best evidence of their effectiveness for the persons population group (such as age, pain
characteristics [refer to Recommendations 1.1 and 1.5]) and health condition.
For additional up-to-date information on the use of non-pharmacological (physical, psychological) interventions for
pain management, refer to the National Centre for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), available at
http://nccam.nih.gov/.
RECOMMENDATION 3.3:
Teach the person, their family and caregivers about the pain management strategies in their
plan of care and address known concerns and misbeliefsG.
Randomized control trials report effective pain management is influenced by a persons level of education, beliefs
and concerns (Bell & Duffy, 2009; Curry-Narayan, 2010; Dewar, 2006; Meeker et al., 2011; Watt-Watson et al., 2004). A person and their
family and caregivers should receive education on both pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic interventions in the
care plan, the potential adverse effects of those interventions and information to correct inaccurate beliefs and ease
concerns to prevent or minimize fears about management of their pain (refer to Recommendations 1.4, 3.1, 3.2, 7e).
This education may help effective adoption and use of pain management strategies by the person and their family
and caregivers (Dewar, 2006; Watt-Watson et al.2004). For example, the family and caregivers of persons with presence, or risk
of, any type of pain might not believe all the persons reports of pain and then fail to report or minimize its extent
when talking to his or her health-care providers and prevent them from prescribing appropriate doses of analgesics.
(Meeker et al., 2011).
37
Education should include but not be limited to:

Reinforcing the importance of communicating pain;

How and when to communicate ones pain experience;
Explaining communication of pain is not perceived by health-care professionals as complaining;
Information on pharmacological, physical and psychological pain management options, emphasizing both risks
and benefits (Monsivais & McNeill, 2007); and
Information on potential adverse effects and strategies for dealing with them (Bell & Duffy, 2009; Watt-Watson et al., 2004).
RECOMMENDATIONS
In special populations or persons unable to self-report, nurses must instruct and educate families and caregivers on:

Implementing pharmacological, physical or psychological pain management interventions for which they will
be responsible;
Observing behaviours that indicate the presence of pain in persons unable to self-report; and
Assessing and monitoring the effectiveness of the interventions.
To avoid any barriers to optimal pain relief, nurses need to ensure persons and their families and caregivers
understand the difference between drug addiction, tolerance and dependencyG. Nurses should be careful when
explaining these terms to facilitate understanding and allay fears about addiction (RNAO, 2007; 2009).
The person and their family/caregivers should be educated on the need to monitor and reassess pain management
interventions for optimum pain relief and adverse effects (AGS, 2009).
4.0 EVALUATION
RECOMMENDATION 4.1:
Reassess the persons response to the pain management interventions consistently using the
same re-evaluation tool. The frequency of reassessments will be determined by:
Presence of pain;
Pain intensity;
Stability of the persons medical condition;
Type of pain e.g. acute versus persistent; and
Practice setting.

Level of Evidence = IIb
Ongoing monitoring and evaluation of a persons response to pain management interventions is necessary to adjust
the strategies and ensure effective pain control and minimization of adverse effects (AGS, 2009; AMDA, 2012; Herr et al., 2010;
RNAO, 2007). A persons response to pharmacological, physical and psychological interventions can vary over time.
Monitoring and reassessing the persons responses helps ensure their safety and effectiveness (AMDA, 2012; Herr et al., 2010),
but it is important to consistently use the same tool each time to get accurate reassessments on the presence and
38
intensity of pain. However, nurses should consider whether changes in a persons condition indicate a need to
determine if the tool being used is still valid (refer to Recommendation 1.2 and 1.3).
RECOMMENDATIONS
How often people should be monitored and reassessed depends on the interventions being used, the stability of the
persons medical condition, and the persons self reports of the severity of pain or behavioural pain responses and
associated distress (AMDA, 2012; RNAO, 2007, Spence et al., 2010; SIGN, 2008). For example, Spence et al. (2010) say newborns and
infants should be assessed on admission and then reassessed with routine care, every shift, and whenever they appear
to be uncomfortable or on substantial change in their condition. However based on responses from persons living with
pain, the SIGN guideline, Control of Pain in Adults with Cancer (2008) states that it is important to reassess a persons
response to interventions frequently, at least twice a day.
The intensity of monitoring (frequency and duration) depends on a persons risk profile and the onset and duration of
action or potential adverse effects of the interventions (pharmacologic, non-pharmacologic [physical, or psychological])
(Jarzyna et al., 2011). For example, ongoing use of opioid analgesics for pain management can result in unintended
sedation leading to respiratory depression. The American Society for Pain Management Nursing Guidelines,
Monitoring for Opioid-Induced Sedation and Respiratory Depression (2011), Jarzyna et al. (2011) and Pasero (2009)
recommend hospitalized persons have routine sedation and respiratory assessments (refer to Appendix O) whether
they are awake or asleep, to monitor for unintended sedation and to avoid the risk of respiratory depression.
Monitoring the persons health outcomes such as presence and severity of pain, impacts to function and mobility
after pain management interventions is required to determine if there is a need to modify care. If changes are required
based on the reassessment, the interprofessional team must discuss proposed changes to pharmacological and nonpharmacological interventions, outline their benefits and risks, and revise the pain management plan for optimal
health outcomes (OCSMC, 2010).
RECOMMENDATION 4.2:
Communicate and document the persons responses to the pain management plan.
Communication and documentation by nurses supports care and treatment by the interprofessional team, the
person, and the persons family and caregivers (College of Nurses [CNO], 2008; Crowe et al., 2008; RNAO, 2012a). Nursing
documentation is also a professional and legal requirement that promotes:

Safe, effective and ethical pain care.

Continuity of care across interprofessional team.
Communication of the:
Plan of care;
Assessment findings (refer to Recommendation 1.5);
Effectiveness of implemented interventions;
Education provided to the person on their condition, plan of care, assessment and reassessment findings; and
Follow-up actions to reassessments to ensure optimal health outcomes (CNO, 2008).
39
Active involvement of the person and their family/caregivers in the development and monitoring of their pain
management plan. For example, in the community, a pain diary can help a person communicate with health-care
providers about their pain and response to interventions (Cancer Care Ontario, 2008; OCSMC, 2010).
RECOMMENDATIONS
Documentation needs to be accessible to all the interprofessional team members involved in the persons care (Canadian
Nurses Association [CNA], 2008). Documentation communicates the care activities of each interprofessional team member
such as the assessment, planning and implementation of interventions and validates the monitoring and evaluation
of a persons response and ability to adhere to the plan of care and the follow-up actions by the team (refer to
Recommendations in sections 1.0, 2.0, 3.0) (Goldberg & Morrison, 2007; Jarzyna et al., 2011).
In contrast, the absence of clear communication and documentation of pain management (including date and
time; pain type, severity, rating, location, and quality; pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions; the
persons response; and any adverse effects) affects the ability of the nurse and the team to evaluate the effectiveness
of the plan and determine whether different interventions are needed (AMDA, 2012; ANZCA, 2010; Cancer Care Ontario, 2008;
OCSMC, 2010; RNAO, 2007; SIGN, 2008; Taddio et al., 2010).
40
Education Recommendations
5.0 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR EDUCATION
RECOMMENDATION 5.1:
RECOMMENDATIONS
Educational institutions should incorporate this guideline, Assessment and Management

of Pain (3rd ed.), into basic and interprofessional curricula for registered nurses, registered
practical nurses and doctor of medicine programs to promote evidence-based practice.
Members of the interprofessional team play a vital role in the assessment and management of pain. Students of
nursing and other health-care professions should be taught theory and be able to demonstrate at entry to practice
they have the clinical competencies for assessing and managing pain, regardless of the population group or setting.
Canadian curricula should enhance pain education to ensure students acquire entry-to-practice pain competencies.
For more information on competencies and on the theoretical components for the effective assessment and
management of pain refer to Canadian Nurses Associations entry-to-practice pain competencies available at http://
www.cna-aiic.ca/en/becoming-an-rn/rn-exam/competencies/ and the IASP [2012c] nursing curriculum available at
http://www.iasp-pain.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Nursing).
Education on the ethical and legal implications of not assessing, managing and monitoring pain must be included
in the curriculum. Programs should not focus just on knowledge and skills; they must also examine nursing
students beliefs about pain assessment and management if they are to support long-term practice changes.
Moreover, programs must be updated on a regular basis and new knowledge, techniques and or technologies should
be integrated into the curriculum (ANZCA, 2010; RNAO, 2007). According to Cummings et al (2011) suggest successful
educational programs include:

A committed interprofessional team of content experts;

Pre-constructed education materials; and
A standardized approach to the delivery of the education material.

The RNAO expert panel suggests incorporating the best practice guideline, Assessment and Management of Pain (3rd ed.)
into interprofessional curricula to ensure health-care professionals are provided with the evidence-based knowledge,
skills and tools needed to assist in assessing and managing people with the presence, or risk of, any type of pain.
41
RECOMMENDATION 5.2:
Incorporate content on knowledge translation strategies into education programs for healthcare providers to move evidence related to the assessment and management of pain into practice.
RECOMMENDATIONS
In a systematic review and meta-analysis of the effectiveness of knowledge translation strategies to improve cancer
pain management by Cummings et al., (2011), the use of strategies such as educational programs, follow-up and
resource allocation aimed at health-care providers, persons with the presence, or risk of, any type of pain and their
caregivers improved knowledge, skills and beliefs about pain, and resulted in significantly better pain management.
All educational programs should include content on knowledge translation strategies to enhance health-care provider
awareness and understanding of how to move research (best practice guidelines) into practice because of the
potential to improve health outcomes (Canadian Institute of Health Research [CIHR], 2009).
The RNAO, Toolkit: The Implementation of Best Practice Guidelines Second Edition (RNAO, 2012b) and CIHR (2009)
identify knowledge translation as a dynamic and iterative process that can lead to improved health outcomes.
Use of knowledge translation process and the various strategies to promote the inquiry and synthesis of knowledge,
dissemination of tools and best practices and support the exchange and application of ethically-sound contextual
knowledge on pain can assist health-care providers to improve pain assessment and management practices (CIHR, 2009;
Peter & Watt-Watson, 2002; RNAO, 2012b).
RECOMMENDATION 5.3:
Promote interprofessional education and collaboration related to the assessment and
management of pain in academic institutions.
In interprofessional education, students are educated to work collaboratively as an interprofessional team. Effective
health-care providers are collaborative practitioners who understand the importance of working together with
colleagues, the person, and their family and caregivers to achieve optimal safety and pain outcomes (Irajpour, 2006;
Kavanagh, Watt-Watson, & Stevens, 2007; Watt-Watson, Siddall, & Carr, 2012).
The Canadian Interprofessional Health Collaborative (CIHC) is working to improve interprofessional care at the
clinical and organization level by focusing on initiatives to assist health-care providers to connect in meaningful ways
to improve care outcomes. More information on CIHC resources and initiatives for interprofessional education and
collaboration is available at http://www.cihc.ca.
42
Randomized controlled trials report improved professionals knowledge, beliefs and skills in developing care plans
for pain management with an interprofessional approach and strategy (Watt-Watson et al., 2004; Watt-Watson et al., 2009).
In 2002, the University of Toronto Centre for the Study of Pain developed, implemented and evaluated a mandatory
20-hour interprofessional pain curriculum (Hunter et al., 2008; Watt-Watson et al., 2004). More information on the content of
this curriculum is available at http://www.utoronto.ca/pain/research/interfaculty-curriculum.html. The IASP (2012c)
has a developed an interprofessional pain curriculum outline in recognition of the importance of interprofessional
learning for the development of effective pain management outcomes (see Recommendation 5.1). Core pain
competencies essential to all health professionals are now available to support the IASP document (Fishman et al., 2013)
RECOMMENDATIONS
RECOMMENDATION 5.4:
Health-care professionals should participate in continuing education opportunities to enhance
specific knowledge and skills to competently assess and manage pain, based on this guideline,
Assessment and Management of Pain (3rd ed.).
Level of Evidence = IV
Assessment and management of pain in persons with the presence, or risk of, any type of pain is a complex and
dynamic process that requires a team of health-care professionals with specialized knowledge and skills. The
knowledge and skills necessary to assess and manage all aspects of pain assessment and management may not
be practiced by students in an entry-level program. Therefore, health-care professionals should take accredited
continuing education courses to receive training on assessing and managing pain with support (time, access and
funding) from their health-care organization. The team should adopt a person-centred approachG and have a
sound base of knowledge for solving problems and ensuring their work is evidence-based and aligned with their
organizations policies and procedures.
Refer to Appendix D, for a list of websites with resources and information to support the assessment and
management of pain.
43
Organization and Policy Recommendations

6.0 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ORGANIZATION AND POLICY
RECOMMENDATION 6.1:
RECOMMENDATIONS
Establish pain assessment and management as a strategic clinical priority.

Organizations must recognize that all people have the right to the best pain management possible (Canadian Pain Society,
2010). Organizations must make pain assessment and management a strategic priority (refer to Background section
for prevalence and impacts of inadequate pain management) to ensure safe and effective care outcomes (ANZCA, 2010;
Czarnecki et al., 2011; IASP, 2012b).
To achieve this, organizations need:

Standards, policies and procedures to assess and manage pain effectively;

Standardized tools for documenting and communicating pain assessment and management strategies and
outcomes;
Consistent use of validated assessment tools across teams and settings, appropriate for specific populations and
contexts of care;
Pain education that includes orientation of new staff to the organizations pain management policies, procedure
and practices and ongoing professional development; and
Continuous quality improvement initiatives to evaluate pain assessment and management processes and
outcomes.
Integrating assessment forms into documentation processes and documentation systems can also help guide staff
through the required steps needed to effectively assess and manage pain (Courtenay & Carey, 2008; Goldberg & Morrison, 2007;
Irajpour, Norman, & Griffiths, 2006; Twycross, 2010; RNAO, 2007).
44
RECOMMENDATION 6.2:
Establish a model of care to support interprofessional collaboration for the effective assessment
and management of pain.
RECOMMENDATIONS
To support positive health outcomes and satisfaction with pain management, organizations must adopt models of
care that support interprofessional team communication and collaboration (refer to Recommendations in sections
1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0 for importance of interprofessional team collaboration in the assessment and management of
pain). The model of care should support the interprofessional teams use of formalized policies and procedures,
integrated care processes through use of clinical pathways, and promote consultation and education among
interprofessional team members for optimum outcomes associated with the assessment and management of pain
(Brink-Huis, van Achterberg, & Schoonhoven, 2008; Dewar, 2006).
Swafford, Miller, Tsai, Herr, & Ersek (2009) and Dewar (2006) give evidence for organizations to adopt these
practices:

Using pain specialists or consultants for complex pain issues;

Developing pain champions;
Using standardized evidence-based clinical decision-making tools for assessing and managing pain;
Engaging key stakeholders in the organization when considering changes to pain care;
Doing team-building to improve communication between nurses and others on interprofessional teams;
Regularly evaluating pain assessment and management processes and outcomes with pain quality indicators; and
Regularly reviewing the impact of these factors on ensuring optimum outcomes: 1) model of care; 2) staff skillmix; 3) education initiatives for interprofessional staff; and 4) education materials used for persons with the
presence, or risk of, any type of pain.
RECOMMENDATION 6.3:
Use the knowledge translation process and multifaceted strategies within organizations
to assist health-care providers to use the best evidence on assessing and managing pain in
practice.
Organizations can use the knowledge translation process and the variety of knowledge transfer strategies to influence
health-care providers adoption and uptake of best practices in pain management to improve outcomes and satisfaction
of persons with the presence, or risk of, any type of pain (Goldberg & Morrison, 2007; RNAO, 2012b; Zhu et al., 2012).
45
Effective knowledge translation strategies used in organizations to enhance the uptake of best practices associated
with the assessment and management of pain include:

RECOMMENDATIONS
Developing pain champions in the organization;

Identifying key knowledge and skills associated with effective pain management;
Using best-practice guidelines;
Identifying facilitators who can maximize use of best practices for assessing and managing pain;
Introducing health-care providers and persons with the presence, or risk of, any type of pain to various sources
of information on dealing with pain, including web-based learning, videos, and documents (Goldberg & Morrison, 2007;
RNAO, 2012a; Zhu et al., 2012).
Different knowledge translation strategies work for different groups, or in different contexts, which organizations
have to take into consideration when they are designing programs to share information and improve practice.
Organizations must assess which resources and structures will support the sustained use of best practices by healthcare teams. Options such as documentation systems, practice alerts, quality audits, feedback and ongoing education
may all be appropriate at different times. (RCN, 2009; Zhu et al., 2012).
RECOMMENDATION 6.4:
Use a systematic organization-wide approach to implement Assessment and Management
of Pain (3rd ed.) best practice guideline and provide resources and organizational and
administrative supports to facilitate uptake.
RNAO had a panel of nurses, researchers and administrators develop the Toolkit: Implementation of Best Practice
Guidelines (2nd ed.) (RNAO, 2012b), using evidence, theoretical perspectives and expert consensusG. The Toolkit
is designed to help you successfully implement guidelines. We strongly recommend you use the toolkit when
implementing this guideline (refer to Appendix P).
An effective organizational plan for implementing guidelines includes:
Assessing
the organizations readiness for implementation and barriers to it;

Involving all members in implementation, either directly or in a supportive function;
Reinforcing the importance of best practices through ongoing education;
Appointing one or more qualified individuals to support the education and implementation process; and
Offering opportunities for personal and organizational reflections on implementing guidelines.
46
Research Gaps and Future Implications

The Registered Nurses Association of Ontario expert panel, in reviewing the evidence for this edition of the guideline,
identified these priority areas for research. They are broadly categorized into practice, outcome and health-system
research (refer to Table 6).
Table 6. Priority Practice, Outcomes and Health System Research Areas
PRIORITY RESEARCH AREA
Practice
research
Use of pain assessment tools with people unable to self report across the lifespan.
RECOMMENDATIONS
CATEGORY
Pain assessment and management approaches in long-term care residential settings.

Effective interprofessional pain curriculum content, teaching strategies, and course
or program duration required for health-care providers to acquire the knowledge
and skills for entry to practice pain competencies and for ongoing professional
development on pain management.
Outcome
research
Impact of family/caregivers involvement on the effectiveness of a persons

management of their pain.
Impact of the use of pain assessment tools with people unable to self-report on pain
practices and clinical outcomes.
Efficacy of select pharmacological, physical, and psychological pain-relieving strategies
across the lifespan.
Evaluating knowledge translation strategies for effectiveness in moving evidence on
pain management into clinical practice.
Healthsystem
research
Impact of electronic documentation systems on pain assessment and management

practices and health outcomes.
Evaluation of organizational structures to improve pain outcomes.
Identification of standardized instruments to evaluate the effectiveness of education
and teaching programs for effective learning of curriculum content, and competencies
in pain practices.
This list, although not exhaustive, is an attempt to identify and rank the research needed in this area. Many of our
recommendations are based on quantitative and qualitative research evidence. Other recommendations are based on
consensus or expert opinion. Further substantive research is required to validate the expert opinion. Better evidence
will lead to improved practice and outcomes for persons who require assessment and management of their pain.
47
Implementation Strategies
Implementing guidelines at the point of care is multifaceted and challenging; it takes more than awareness and
distribution of guidelines to get people to change how they practice. Guidelines must be adapted for each practice
setting in a systematic and participatory way, to ensure recommendations fit the local context (Straus, Tetroe, & Graham,
2009). Our Toolkit: Implementation of Best Practice Guidelines (2nd ed.) (RNAO, 2012b) provides an evidence-informed
process for doing that.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The Toolkit is based on emerging evidence that successful uptake of best practice in health care is more likely when:
Leaders
at all levels are committed to supporting guideline implementation;

are selected for implementation through a systematic, participatory process;
Stakeholders for whom the guideline is relevant are identified and engaged in the implementation;
Environmental readiness for implementing guidelines is assessed;
The guideline is tailored to the local context;
Barriers and facilitators to using the guideline are assessed and addressed;
Interventions to promote use of the guideline are selected;
Use of the guideline is systematically monitored and sustained;
Evaluation of the guidelines impact is embedded in the process;
There are adequate resources to complete all aspects of the implementation.
Guidelines
The Toolkit uses a knowledge-to-action model, shown below, that depicts the process of choosing a guideline in
the centre triangle, and follows detailed step-by-step directions for implementing recommendations locally.
48
Figure 2. Revised knowledge-to-action framework

Monitor Knowledge Use
& Evaluate Outcomes
Chapter 5:
Identify key Indicators
Concepts of knowledge
Evaluating patient and
related outcomes
Knowledge
Tools/
Products
(BPGs)
Kn
ow
led
ge
Knowledge
Synthesis
ori
ng
Adapt Knowledge to Local Context

Chapter 2, Part A:
Setting up infrastructure for
implementation of BPG
Initial identification of stakeholders
Use of Adapted Process
Knowledge Inquiry
RECOMMENDATIONS
Chapter 3:
Identification of barriers and facilitators
How to maximize and overcome
Tai
l
Assess Facilitators and Barriers

to Knowledge Use
Sustain Knowledge Use

Chapter 6
Stakeholders
Chapter 2, Part B:
Define stakeholders and vested interest
Thread stakeholders throughout document
Stakeholder analysis process
Stakeholder tools
Resources
Chapter 2, Part C:
RNAO Resources
Identify Problem
Chapter 1:
Identify, Review, Select Knowledge
Chapter 1:
Identify gaps using quality
improvement process and data
Identification of key knowledge tools (BPGs)
INTRODUCTION
Note. Adapted from Straus, S., Tetroe, J., Graham, I.D., Zwarenstein, M., & Bhattacharyya, O. (2009). Monitoring and evaluating knowledge. In: S. Straus, J.
Tetroe and I.D. Graham (Eds.). Knowledge translation in health care (pp.151-159). Oxford, UK: Wiley-Blackwell
The Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO) is committed to widespread deployment and implementation
of our guidelines. We use a coordinated approach to dissemination, incorporating a variety of strategies, including the
Nursing Best Practice Champion Network, which develops the capacity of individual nurses to foster awareness,
engagement and adoption of BPGs; and the Best Practice Spotlight Organization (BPSO) designation, which supports
implementation at the organizational and system levels. BPSOs focus on developing evidence-based cultures with the
specific mandate to implement, evaluate and sustain multiple RNAO best practice guidelines. In addition, we offer
capacity-building learning institutes on specific guidelines and their implementation annually. (RNAO, 2012b, p. 19-20).
Information about our implementation strategies can be found at:

RNAO Best Practice Champions Network : http://rnao.ca/bpg/get-involved/champions

RNAO Best Practice Spotlight Organizations: http://rnao.ca/bpg/bpso
RNAO capacity-building learning institutes and other professional development opportunities : http://rnao.ca/events
RNAOs nursing order sets as a tool to facilitate BPG implementation, please email [email protected].
49
Evaluating and Monitoring this Guideline

As you implement the recommendations in this guideline, we ask you to consider how you will monitor and evaluate
its implementation and impact.
Table 7 is based on a framework outlined in the Toolkit: Implementation of Best Practice Guidelines (2nd ed.), (RNAO, 2012b)
and illustrates some specific indicators for monitoring and evaluation of this guideline.
RECOMMENDATIONS
TABLE 7. Structure, Process and Outcome Indicators for Monitoring and Evaluating This Guideline
LEVEL OF
INDICATOR
STRUCTURE
PROCESS
OUTCOME
Objectives
To evaluate the
supports in the
organization that
allows nurses and the
interprofessional team
to integrate into their
practice assessment and
management of pain.
To evaluate changes
in practice that lead
towards improved
assessment and
management of pain.
To evaluate the impact of

implementing the guideline
recommendations.
System
Review
Development
Evidence
of best
practices associated
with for assessing
and managing
pain by a systemlevel committee
responsible for
quality of care
across the healthcare system.
Availability
of
education resources
in academic settings
for professional (i.e.,
nursing, medicine)
development
programs, which
are consistent
with best practices
for assessing and
managing pain.
50
of systems that
encourage healthcare organizations
to adopt policy
and procedures
consistent with
best practices
for assessing and
managing pain.
Concrete
procedures
and processes to
ensure academic
settings healthcare professional
development
programs are
updated with
best practices
for assessing and
managing pain.
of healthsystem outcomes
associated with
effective and safe painmanagement practices.
Support
for health-care
professionals to develop
core competencies
associated with assessing
and managing pain.
LEVEL OF
INDICATOR
Organization/
Unit
STRUCTURE
PROCESS
OUTCOME
Review
Development
Incorporation
Review
the validity
of pain assessment
tools for use in
the organization
by nurses and the
interprofessional
team.
of
education for
persons with the
presence, or risk of,
any type of pain,
and their family
and caregivers
consistent with
best-practice
recommendations.
of
forms or systems
that encourage
documentation of
assessment and
management of
pain.
Develop
procedures
for evaluating and
assessing tools
for use in the
organization, based
on population served
(infant, children,
adult, older persons).
Availability
Concrete
Provision
Concrete
of
resource people
for nurses and the
team to consult
for support during
and after the initial
implementation
period.
of
assessing and managing
pain in staff orientation
program.
Adoption
of valid
standardized painassessment tools.
RECOMMENDATIONS
of
best practice
recommendations
by organizational
committees
responsible
for policy and
procedures.
Referrals
internally and
externally.
procedures
that encourage
dissemination
and uptake of
information to
educate persons with
the presence, or risk
of, any type of pain,
and their family and
caregivers.
procedures
are in place for
making internal and
external referrals to
resource people on
pain management
and services.
51
LEVEL OF
INDICATOR
STRUCTURE
PROCESS
OUTCOME
Provider
Percentage
Self-assessed
Evidence
RECOMMENDATIONS
of healthcare providers
attending sessions
on best practices
in assessing and
managing pain.
knowledge of
assessment and
management
of pain.
Average
selfreported awareness
levels of internal and
external resources
and services for
assessing and
managing pain.
Average
and use of validated
tools for assessing
and managing pain.
Average
of education
resources for persons
with the presence,
or risk of, any type
of pain.
Person
Percentage
of
people admitted
to the unit/facility
with the presence,
or risk of, any type
of pain.
Percentage
of
persons who were
assessed and treated
for pain.
of kept records
on people with the
presence, or risk of, any
type of pain consistent
with recommendations.
People
suffering complex
pain are referred to
resources and services
in the organization or
community as necessary.
Evidence education
and dissemination
of information and
resources on selfmanaging pain is
available to people with
pain or risk of, any type
of pain and their family.
Education
and support
are provided to persons
with pain or risk of, any
type of pain and their
family and caregivers.
Person/family
satisfaction.
Improvement
in quality
of life or satisfaction.
Percentage
of persons
satisfied with their level
of involvement in the
pain management plan.
Percentage
of persons
adhering to the pain
management plan.
Percentage
of persons
with complex pain for
referral and seen by pain
management services.
52
LEVEL OF
INDICATOR
Financial
costs
STRUCTURE
PROCESS
OUTCOME
Provision
Cost related to
implementing
guideline:
Cost
Education
Overall
resource use.
Length
of stay in health
and
access to on-the-job
supports.
New
documentation
systems.
Support
Cost
systems.
related to
resources and
services supporting
the assessment and
management of pain
(e.g., assessment
tools, education
materials; ongoing
education of healthcare teams; complex
pain management
specialists;
pharmacological and
non-pharmacological
pain management
interventions).
efficiency and
effectiveness of
treatment.
RECOMMENDATIONS
of
adequate financial
resources for
the level of
staffing necessary
to implement
guideline
recommendations.
system.
Hospital
readmission
rates for inadequate pain
management.
Self-management
of pain
in community.
*These process and outcome indicators have been taken from the NQuIRE Data Dictionary for the best practice guideline Assessment and Management of
Pain (Registered Nurses Association of Ontario and Nursing and Healthcare Research Unit (Investn-isciii), 2012). NQuIRE is the acronym for Nursing
Quality Indicators for Reporting and Evaluation. NQuIRE was designed for Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO) Best Practice Spotlight
Organizations (BPSO) to systematically monitor the progress and evaluate the outcomes of implementing the RNAO Best Practice Guidelines in their
organizations. Please visit http://rnao.ca/bpg/initiatives/nquire for more information.
Objective evaluation can be done through regular review of nursing order setsG (a group of evidence-based interventions that are specific to the domain
of nursing) and their effect on the persons health outcomes. Nursing order sets embedded in clinical information systems simplify this process through
electronic data capture. Please visit http://rnao.ca/bpg/initiatives/nursing-order-sets for more information.
53
Process for Update and Review of the Guideline

The Registered Nurses Association of Ontario commits to update its best practice guidelines as follows:
1. Each nursing BPG will be reviewed by a team of specialists in the topic area every five years following publication
of the previous edition.
RECOMMENDATIONS
2. Best Practice Guideline (IaBPG) Centre staff regularly monitor for new systematic reviews, randomized controlled
trials, and other relevant literature in the field.
3. Based on that monitoring, staff may recommend an earlier revision. Appropriate consultation with members of
the original expert panel and other specialists and experts in the field will help inform the decision to review and
revise the guidelines earlier than planned.
4. Three months prior to the review milestone, the staff commences planning of the review by:
a) Inviting specialists in the field to participate on the expert panel. It will be comprised of members from the
original panel as well as other recommended specialists and experts.
b) Compiling feedback received and questions encountered during the implementation, including comments
and experiences of Best Practice Spotlight Organizations and other implementation sites regarding
their experience.
c) Compiling new clinical practice guidelines in the field and conducting a systematic review of the evidence.
d) Developing a detailed work plan with target dates and deliverables for developing a new edition of
the guideline.
5. New editions of guidelines will be dissemination based on established structures and processes.
54
Reference List
Accreditation Canada. (2011). Pain Management Standards from Canadian Council on Health Service
Accreditation. Retrieved from http://www.canadianpainsociety.ca/pdf/Standards-Statement-CCHSA.pdf
Al-Atiyyat, N.M.H. (2008). Patient-related barriers to effective cancer pain management. Journal of Hospice and
Palliative Nursing, 10(4), 198-204.
American Geriatrics Society Panel on Pharmacological Management of Persistent Pain in Older Persons (AGS).
(2009). Pharmacological management of persistent pain in older persons. The Journal of the American Geriatrics
Society, 57(8), 1331-1346.
American Medical Directors Association (AMDA). (2012). Pain management in the long term care setting.
Columbia (MD): American Medical Directors Association (AMDA).
Anand, K. J. S. (1999). Effects of perin atal pain and stress. Progress in Brain Research, 122, 117-129.
Anand, K. J., Aranda, J. V., Berde, C. B., Buckman, S., Capparelli, E. V., Carlo, W., . . . Walco, G. A. (2006). Summary
proceedings from the neonatal pain-control group. Pediatrics, 117 (3), S9S22.
Anand, K. J., & Craig, K. D. (1996, 1998). Perspectives on the definition of pain (Editorial). Pain, 67(1), 209-211.
REFERENCES
Andersen, K., & Kehlet, H. (2011). Persistent pain after breast cancer treatment: A critical review of risk factors
and strategies for prevention. The Journal of Pain, 12(7), 725-746.
Arbour, C., & Glinas, C. (2010). Setting goals for pain management when using a behavioural scale: Example
with the critical-care pain observation tool. Critical Care Nurse, 31(6), 66-8.
Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists and Faculty of Pain Medicine (ANZCA). (2010). Acute Pain
Management: Scientific Evidence. Retrieved from: http://www.anzca.edu.au/resources/college-publications/pdfs/
Acute%20Pain%20Management/books-and-publications/acutepain.pdf
Baker, C., Ogden, S., Prapaipanich, W., Keith, C.K., Beattie, L.C., & Nickleson, L. E. (1999). Hospital consolidation:
Applying stakeholder analysis to merger life cycle. Journal of Nursing Administration, 29(3), 11-20.
Barr, J., Fraser, G. L., Puntillo, K., Ely, E. W., Gelinas, C., Dasta J. F.,...Jaeschke, R. (2013). Clinical practice guidelines
for the management of pain, agitation, and delirium in adult patients in the Intensive Care Unit. Critical Care
Medicine, 41(1), 263-306.
Bell, L., & Duffy, A. (2009). Pain assessment and management in surgical nursing: A literature review. British
Journal of Nursing, 18(3), 153-156.
Bennett, M. I., Attal, N., Backonja, M. M., Baron, R., Bouhassira, D., Freynhagen, R.,...Jensen, T. S. (2007). Using
screening tools to identify neuropathic pain. Pain, 127(3), 199-203.
Bennett, M. I., Smith, B. H., Torrance, N., & Potter, J. (2005). The S-LANSS score for identifying pain of
predominantly neuropathic origin: Validation for use in clinical and postal research. Journal of Pain, 6, 149158.
Black, N., Murphy, M., Lamping, D., McKee, M., Sanderson, C., Askham, J., & Marteau, T. (1999). Consensus
development methods: Review of the best practice in creating clinical guidelines. Journal of Health Services
Research & Policy, 4(4), 236-248.
55
Bouhassira, D., Attal, N., Alchaar, H., Boureau, F., Brochet, B., Bruxelle, J.,...Vicaut, E. (2005). Comparison of pain
syndromes associated with nervous or somatic lesions and development of a new neuropathic pain diagnostic
questionnaire (DN4). Pain, 114, 29-36.
Breau, L. M., McGrath, P. J., Camfield, C.S., & Finley, G.A. (2002). Psychometric properties of the noncommunicating childrens pain checklist-revised. Pain, 99. 34957.
Brink-Huis, A., van Achterberg, T., & Schoonhoven, L. (2008). Pain management: A review of organisational
models with integrated processes for the management of pain in adult cancer patients. Journal of Clinical
Nursing, 17(15), 1986-2000.
Brouwers, M., Kho, M. E., Browman, G. P., Burgers, J. S., Cluzeau, F., Feder, G.,Zitzelsberger, L., for the AGREE
Next Steps Consortium. (2010). AGREE II: Advancing guideline development, reporting and evaluation in
healthcare. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 182(18), E839-42.
Brown, D.N., McCormack, B.G., & McGarvey, H. (2005). Factors influencing the control of post-operative pain in
older people. Reviews in Clinical Gerontology, 15, 149-156.
Brummelte, S., Grunau, R. E., Chau, V., Poskitt, K. J., Brant, R., Vinall, J.,Miller, S. P. (2012) Procedural pain and
brain development in premature newborns. Annals of Neurology, 71(3), 385-396.
REFERENCES
Canadian Health Services Research Foundation. (2006). Conceptualizing and combining evidence. Retrieved from
www.chsrf.ca/other_documents/evidence_e.php#definition
Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR). (2009). Knowledge to Translation Definition. Retrieved from http://
www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/39033.html
Canadian Nurses Association (CNA). (2008). Code of Ethics for Registered Nurses. Retrieved from http://www2.cnaaiic.ca/CNA/documents/pdf/publications/Code_of_Ethics_2008_e.pdf
Canadian Nurses Association (CNA). (2012). Competencies 2012-2015. Retrieved from http://www.cna-aiic.ca/en/
becoming-an-rn/rn-exam/competencies/
Canadian Pain Coalition. (2012). Pain in Canada Fact Sheet. Canadian Pain Society. Retrieved from http://www.
canadianpainsociety.ca/pdf/pain_fact_sheet_en.pdf
Canadian Pain Society. (2010). Inclusion of pain management in the AIM1 Standards. Retrieved from http://www.
canadianpainsociety.ca/en/about_policy.html
Cancer Care Ontario. (2008). Practice Evidence-Based Series #16-2. Cancer-related pain management: A report of
evidence-based recommendations to guide practice. Retrieved from http://www.cancercare.on.ca
Castillo-Bueno M. D., Moreno-Pina J. P., Martnez-Puente M. V., Artiles-Suarez M. M., Company-Sancho M. C,
Garca-Andres, et al. (2010). Effectiveness of nursing intervention for adult patients experiencing chronic pain:
A systematic review. JBI Library of Systematic Reviews, 8(28), 11121168.
Chambers, C. T., Taddio, A., Uman, L. S., McMurtry, C. M., & Team, H. (2009). Psychological interventions for
reducing pain and distress during routine childhood immunizations: a systematic review. Clinical Therapeutics, 31
(2), S77-S103.
Chanques, G., Jaber, S., Barbotte, E. Violet, S., Sebbane, M., Perrigault, P-F.,...Eledjam, J-J. (2006). Impact of
systematic evaluation of pain and agitation in an intensive care unit. Critical Care Medicine, 34(6),1691-1699.
56
Chanques, G., Payen, J. F., Mercier, G., de Lattre, S., Viel, E., Jung, B.,...Jaber S. (2009). Assessing pain in nonintubated critically ill patients unable to self-report: An adaptation of the Behavioral Pain Scale. Intensive Care
Medicine, 35, 2060-2067.
Choinire, M., Dion, D., Peng, P., Banner, R., Barton, P. M., Boulanger, A., Ware, M. (2010). The Canadian
STOP-PAIN project Part 1: Who are the patients on the waitlists of multidisciplinary pain treatment facilities?
Canadian Journal of Anesthesia, 57, 539548.
Cignaccio, E., Hamers, J. P. H., Staffel, L., van Lingen, R. A., Gessler, P., McDougal, J., & Nelle, M. (2007). The
efficacy of non-pharmacological interventions in the management of procedural pain in preterm and term
neonates. A systematic literature review. European Journal of Pain, 11, 139-152.
Cleeland, C. S., & Ryan, K. M. (1994). Pain assessment: global use of the Brief Pain Inventory. Annals Academy of
Medicine Singapore, 23(2), 12938.
College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO). (2013a). Consent. Toronto: College of Nurses. Retrieved from http://www.cno.
org/en/learn-about-standards-guidelines/standards-and-guidelines/
College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO). (2008). Documentation Standard, Revised 2008. Retrieved from http://www.
cno.org/Global/docs/prac/41001_documentation.pdf
REFERENCES
College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO). (2013b). Therapeutic nurse-person relationship, Revised 2006. Toronto:
College of Nurses. Retrieved from http://www.cno.org/Global/docs/prac/41033_Therapeutic.pdf (Original work
published in1999; Reprinted 2008).
College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO). (2011). RN and RPN Practice: The Client, the Nurse and the Environment.
Toronto: College of Nurses. Retrieved from http://www.cno.org/Global/docs/prac/41062.pdf
Cornally, N., & McCarthy, G. (2011). Help-seeking behaviour for the treatment of chronic pain. British Journal of
Community Nursing, 16(2), 90-98.
Coskun, V., & Anand, K. J. S. (2000). Development of supraspinal pain processing. Pain Research and Clinical
Management, 10, 23-54.
Courtenay, M., & Carey, N. (2008). The impact and effectiveness of nurse-led care in the management of acute
and chronic pain: A review of the literature. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 17(15), 2001-2013.
Craig, K. D. (1998). The facial display of pain. Progress in Pain Research and Management, 10, 103-122.
Crowe, L., Chang, A., Fraser, J.A., Gaskill, D., Nash, R., & Wallace, K. (2008). Systematic review of the effectiveness
of nursing interventions in reducing or relieving post-operative pain. International Journal of Evidence-Based
Healthcare, 6(4), 396-430
Crowley, M. A., Storer, A., Heaton, K., Naccarato, M. K., Proehl, J. A., Moretz, J. D., & Li, S. (2011). Emergency
nursing resource: Needle-related procedural pain in pediatric patients in the emergency department. Journal of
Emergency Nursing, 37(3), 246-251.
Cummings, C. G., Olivo, S. A., Biondo, P. D., Stiles, C. R., Yurtseven, O., Fainsinger, R. L., & Hagen, N. A. (2011).
Effectiveness of knowledge translation interventions to improve cancer pain management. Journal of Pain and
Symptom Management, 41(5), 915-939.
57
Curry Narayan, M. (2010). Cultures effects on pain assessment and management. American Journal of Nursing,
110(4), 38 47.
Czarnecki, M. L., Turner, H. N., Collins, P. M., Doellman, D., Wrona, S., & Reynolds, J. (2011). Procedural pain
management: a position statement with clinical practice recommendations. Pain Management Nursing, 12(2), 95-111
Deandrea, S., Montanari, M., Moja, L., & Apolone, G. (2008). Prevalence of under treatment of cancer pain.
Annals of Oncology, 19, 1985-1991.
Dewar, A. (2006). Assessment and management of chronic pain in the older person living in the community.
Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing, 24(1), 33-38.
Duhn, L. J., & Medves, J. M. (2004). A systematic integrative review of infant pain assessment tools. Advances in
Neonatal care, 4(3), 126-40.
Eccleston, C., Williams, A. C. D. C., & Morley, S. (2013). Psychological therapies for the management of chronic
pain (excluding headache) in adults. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2, 1-108. Art. No.: CD007407.
Feldt, K. S. (2000). The checklist of nonverbal pain indicators (CNPI). Pain Management Nursing, 1(1),13-21.
REFERENCES
Field, M., & Lohr, K. N. (1990). Guidelines for clinical practice: Directions for a new program. Washington, DC:
National Academy Press.
Fishman, S. M., Young, H. M., Arwood, E. L., Chou, R., Herr, K., Murinson, B. B.,Strassels, S. A. (2013). Core
competencies for pain management: Results of an interprofessional consensus summit. Pain Medicine, 14, 971981.
Fleiss, J. L., Levin, B., and Paik, M.C. (2003). Statistical Methods for Rates and Proportions (3rd ed.). New York: John
Wiley & Sons.
Fuchs-Lacelle, S., & Hadistavropolous, T. (2004). Development and preliminary validation of the pain assessment
checklist for seniors with limited ability to communicate (PACSLAC). Pain Management Nursing, 5(1), 37-49.
Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine. (2008). Definition of Relaxation Technique. The Gale Group, Inc. Retrieved from
http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Relaxation+technique
Glinas, C. (2010). Nurses evaluations of the feasibility and the clinical utility of the Critical-Care Pain Observation
Tool. Pain Management Nursing,11(2),115-125.
Glinas, C., Fillion, L., Puntillo, K. A., Viens, C., & Fortier, M. (2006). Validation of the critical-care pain observation
tool in adult patients. American Journal of Critical Care, 15(4), 420-427.
Glinas, C., Harel, F., Fillion, L., Puntillo, K. A., & Johnston, C. C. (2009). Sensitivity and specificity of the criticalcare pain observation tool for the detection of pain in intubated adults after cardiac surgery. Journal of Pain &
Symptom Management, 37(1), 58-67.
Glinas, C., & Johnston, C. (2007). Pain assessment in the critically ill ventilated adult: Validation of the CriticalCare Pain Observation Tool and physiological indicators. The Clinical Journal of Pain, 23(6), 497-505.
Goldberg, G. R., & Morrison, R. S. (2007). Pain management in hospitalized cancer patients: A systematic
review.Journal of Clinical Oncology, 25(13), 17921801.
58
Guideline Development Group (GDG). (2008). The recognition and assessment of acute pain in children. Royal
College of Nursing, London, UK. Retrieved from http://www.rcn.org.uk/development/practice/clinicalguidelines/pain
Hadjistavropoulos, T., Herr, K., Turk. D. C., Fine, P. G., Dworkin, R. H., Helme, R.,Williams, J. (2006). An
interdisciplinary expert consensus statement on assessment of pain in older persons. Clinical Journal of Pain 23(1),
S1-43.
Hadjistavropoulos, T., Marchildon, G., Fine, P., Herr, K., Palley, H., Kaasalainen, S., & Beland, F. (2009). Transforming
long-term care pain management in North America: The policy clinical interface. Pain Medicine, 10, 506-520.
Harrison, D., Bueno, M., Yamada, J., Adams-Webber, T., & Stevens, B. (2010). Analgesic effects of sweet-tasting
solutions for infants: Current state of equipoise. Pediatrics, 126(5), 894-902.
Harrison, D., Stevens, B., Bueno, M., Yamada, J., Adams-Webber, T., Beyene, J., & Ohlsson, A. (2010). Efficacy of
sweet solutions for analgesia in infants between 1 and 12 months of age: a systematic review. Archives of Disease
in Childhood, 95(6), 406-413.
Hatfield, L. A., Chang, K., Bittle, M., Deluca, J., & Polomano, R. C. (2011). The analgesic properties of intraoral
sucrose: An integrative review. Advances in Neonatal Care, 11(2), 83-92.
Health Canada (2006). Advance care planning: The Glossary Project: Final report. [Online]. Retrieved from http://
www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hcs-sss/pubs/palliat/2006-proj-glos/index-eng.php
REFERENCES
Health Care Innovation Workgroup. (2012). From Innovation to Action: The First Report of the Health Care
Innovation Working Group. Pg.14. Retrieved from http://www.councilofthefederation.ca/keyinitiatives/
Healthcare.html
Herr, K., Bursch, H., Miller, L.L., & Swafford, K. (2010). Use of pain-behavioral assessment tools in the nursing
home: Expert consensus recommendations for practice. Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 36(3), 18-29.
Herr, K., Coyne, P. J., McCaffery, M., Manworren, R., & Merkel, S. (2011). Pain assessment in the patient unable to
self-report: Position statement with clinical practice recommendations. Pain Management Nursing,12(4), 230-250.
Hicks, C. L., von Baeyer, C. L., Spafford, P. A., van Korlaar, I., & Goodenough, B. (2001). The Faces Pain Scale
Revised: Toward a common metric in pediatric pain measurement. Pain, 93, 173-83.
Huguet, A., & Miro, J. (2008). The severity of chronic pain: An epidemiological study. The Journal of Pain, 9(3),
226-236.
Hunter, J., Watt-Watson, J., McGillion, M., Raman-Wilms, L., Cockburn, L., Lax, L.,...Salter, M. (2008). An
interfaculty pain curriculum: Lessons learned from six years experience. Pain, 140, 74-86.
Hutson, P. (2009). Is the use of intravenous opioids essential to control pain during colonoscopy? Gastrointestinal
Nursing, 7(3), 15 - 23
Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement (ICSI). (2009). Assessment and Management of Chronic Pain. Retrieved
from http://www.icsi.org/pain__chronic__assessment_and_management_of_14399/pain__chronic__assessment_
and_management_of__guideline_.html
Institute for Healthcare Improvement. (2011). What is a Care Bundle? Retrieved from http://www.ihi.org/
knowledge/Pages/ImprovementStories/WhatIsaBundle.aspx
59
International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP). (2012a). IASP Curriculum Outline on Pain for Nursing.
Retrieved from http://www.iasp-pain.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Nursing
International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP). (2012b). Desirable characteristics of national pain
strategies: Recommendations by the International Association for the Study of Pain. Retrieved from http://www.
iasp-pain.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Advocacy/DesirableCharacteristicsofNationalPainStrategies/default.htm
International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP). (2012c). Pain Terminology. Retrieved from http://www.iasppain.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Pain_Definitions
Irajpour, A. (2006). Interprofessional education: A facilitator to enhance pain management? Journal of
Interprofessional Care, 20, 675-678.
Irajpour, A., Norman, I., & Griffiths, P. (2006). Interprofessional education to improve pain management. British
Journal of Community Nursing, 11(1), 29-32.
Jarzyna, D., Jungquist, C., R., Pasero, C., Willens, J. S. Nisbet, A., Oakes, L.,...Polomano, R. (2011). American
Society for Pain Management Nursing Guidelines on Monitoring for Opioid-Induced Sedation and Respiratory
Depression. Pain Management Nursing 12(3), 118-145.
REFERENCES
Jensen, M., & Karoly, P. (2001). Self-report scales and procedures for assessing pain in adults. In D. Turk & R.
Melzack (Eds.), Handbook of pain assessment (pp.15-34). New York: Guildford Press.
Jensen, M., Karoly, P., & Huger, R. (1987). The development and preliminary validation of an instrument to assess
patients attitudes toward pain. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 31(3), 393-400.
Johnston, C., Barrington, K. J., Taddio, A., Carbajal, R., & Filion, F. (2011). Pain in Canadian NICUs: Have we
improved over the past 12 years? Clinical Journal of Pain, 27, 225-32.
Kavanagh, T., Watt-Watson, J., & Stevens, B. (2007). An Examination of the Factors Enabling the Successful
Implementation of Evidence-based AcutePain Practices into Pediatric Nursing.Childrens Health Care, 36(3),303-321.
Kehlet, H., Jensen, T., & Woolf, C. (2006). Persistent surgical pain: Risk factors and prevention. Lancet, 367, 1618-25.
King, S., Chambers, C. T., Huguet, A., Macnevin, R. C., McGrath, P. J., Parker, L., & Macdonald, A. J. (2011). The
epidemiology of chronic pain in children and adolescents revisited: A systematic review. Pain, 152(12), 2729-38.
Lander, J. A., Weltman, B. J., & So, S. (2006). EMLA and amethocaine for reduction of childrens pain associated
with needle insertion. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (3), CD004236.
Lawrence, J., Alcock, D., McGrath, P., Kay, J., MacMurray, S.B., & Dulberg, C. (1993). The development of a tool to
assess neonatal pain. Neonatal Network, 12, 59-66.
Leef, K. H. (2006). Evidence-based review of oral sucrose administration to decrease the pain response in newborn
infants. Neonatal Network, 25(4), 275-284.
Lefebvre-Chapiro, S. & the DOLOPLUS Group. (2001). The DOLOPLUS 2 scale-evaluating pain in the elderly.
European Journal of Palliative Care, 8, 191-194.
LeFort, S. M., Gray-Donald, K., Rowat, K. M., & Jeans, M. E. (1998). Randomized controlled trial of a communitybased psychoeducation program for the self-management of chronic pain. Pain, 74(2-3), 297-306.
60
Lynch, M. (2011). The need for a Canadian pain strategy. Pain Research & Management, 16(2), 77-80.
Malviya, S., Voepel-Lewis, T., & Tait, A. R. (2006). A Comparison of Observational and Objective Measures to
Differentiate Depth of Sedation in Children from Birth to 18 Years of Age. Anesthesia and Analgesia, 102( 2), 389-394.
Malviya, S., Voepel-Lewis, T., Burke, C., Merkel, S., & Tait, A. R. (2006). The revised FLACC observational pain tool:
Improved reliability and validity for pain assessment in children with cognitive impairment. Pediatric Anaesthesia,16,
258-65.
McAuliffe, L., Nay, R., ODonnell, M., & Fetherstonhaugh, D. (2009). Pain assessment in older people with
dementia: Literature review. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 65(1), 2-10.
Meeker, M. A., Finnell, D., & Othman, A. K. (2011). Family caregivers and cancer pain management: A review.
Journal of Family Nursing, 17(1), 29-60.
Mental Health Commission of Canada. (2009). Toward recovery and well-being. A framework for a mental health
strategy for Canada. Retrieved from http://www.mentalhealthcommission.ca/English/Pages/Reports.aspx
Merkel, S. I., Voepel-Lewis, T., Shayevitz, J. R., & Malviya, S. (1997). The FLACC: A behavioral scale for scoring
postoperative pain in young children. Pediatric Nursing, 23(3), 292-97.
REFERENCES
Merskey, H., & Bogduk, N. (1994). Classification of Chronic Pain (2nd ed.). Seattle: International Association for the
Study of Pain.
Middleton, C. (2003). Understanding physiological effects of unrelieved pain. Nursing Times, 99(37), 28-31.
Moher, D., Liberati, A., Tetzlaff, J., D.,Altman, D. G., & The PRISMA Group (2009). Preferred reporting Items for
systematic reviews and meta-analyses: The PRISMA statement. British Medical Journal, 339, b2535, doi: 10.1136/
bmj.b2535
Monsivais, D., & McNeill, J. (2007). Multicultural influences on pain medication attitudes and beliefs in patients
with nonmalignant chronic pain syndromes. Pain Management Nursing, 8(2), 64-71.
Morrison, R. A. (1991). Update on sickle cell disease: incidence of addiction and choice of opioid in pain
management. Pediatric Nursing, 17(5), 503.
Mosbys Dental Dictionary, 2nd edition, (2008). Definition of Intrathecally. Elsevier, Inc. Retrieved from http://
medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/intrathecally
Moulin, D. E., Clark, A. J., Gilron, I., Ware, M. A., Watson, C. P., Sessle, B. J.,Velly, A. (2007). Pharmacological
management of chronic neuropathic pain Consensus statement and guidelines from the Canadian Pain Society.
Pain Research and Management, 12(1), 13-21.
National Opioid Use Guideline Group (NOUGG). (2010). Canadian guideline for safe and effective use of opioids
for chronic non-cancer pain. Part A & B. National Pain Centre, McMaster University. Retrieved from http://
nationalpaincentre.mcmaster.ca/opioid
Nilsson, U. (2008). The anxiety- and pain-reducing effects of music interventions: A systematic review. Association
of PeriOperative Registered Nurses Journal, 87(4), 780-807.
Nnoaham, K. E., & Kumbang, J. (2008). Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) for chronic pain.
Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (3), CD003222.
61
Oakes, L. L. (2011). Compact Clinical Guide to Infant and Child Pain Management. An Evidence-Based Approach
for Nurses. New York: Springer Publishing Company.
Obeidat, H., Kahalaf, I., Callister, L. C., & Froelicher, E. S. (2009). Use of facilitated tucking for nonpharmacological
pain management in preterm infants. Journal of Perinatal Neonatal Nursing, 23(4), 372-377.
Ontario Cancer Symptom Management Collaborative (OCSMC). (2010). Cancer Care Ontarios Symptom
Management Guides-to-Practice: Pain. Cancer Care Ontario (CCO). Retrieved from https://www.cancercare.on.ca/
cms/one.aspx?portalId=1377&pageId=58189
Pasero, C. (2009). Assessment of sedation during opioid administration for pain management. Journal of
PeriAnesthesia Nursing, 24(3), 186-190.
Pasero, C., & McCaffery, M. (2011). Pain Assessment and Pharmacologic Management. St. Louis, MO: Mosby/Elsevier.
Patanwala, A.E., Keim, S.M., & Erstad, B.L. (2010). Intravenous opioids for severe acute pain in the emergency
department. The Annals of Pharmacotherapy, 44(11), 1800-1809.
Pattinson, D., & Fitzgerald, M. (2004). The neurobiology of infant pain: Development of excitatory and inhibitory
neurotransmission in the spinal dorsal horn. Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine, 29(1), 36-44.
REFERENCES
Payen, J. F., Bru, O., Bosson, J. L., Lagrasta, A., Novel, E., Deschaux, I.,...Jacquot, C. (2001) Assessing pain in critically
ill sedated patients by using a behavioral pain scale. Critical Care Medicine, 29, 2258-2263.
Peter, E., & Watt-Watson, J. (2002).Unrelieved pain: An ethical perspective on distrust in patients. Canadian
Journal of Nursing Research, 34(2), 65-80.
Phillips, T. J. C., Cherry, C. L., Moss, P. J, & Rice, A. S. C. (2010). Painful HIV-associated sensory neuropathy. Pain
Clinical Updates- Review, 18(3): 1-8.
Pillai Riddell, R. R., Racine, N. M., Turcotte, K., Uman, L. S., Horton, R. E., Din Osmun, L.,Gerwitz-Stern, A. (2011).
Non-pharmacological management of infant and young child procedural pain. Cochrane Database of Systematic
Reviews (10), CD006275, 1-185.
Pompili, M., Innamorati, M., Serafini, G., Gonda, X., Campi, S., Rapinesi, C.,Girardi, P. (2012). How does
subjective experience of pain relate to psychopathology among psychiatric patients? General Hospital Psychiatry,
Epub ahead of print. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22595339
Ramage-Morin, P. L., & Gilmour, H. (2010). Chronic pain at ages 12 to 44. Health Reports (Statistics Canada),
Catalogue # 82-003-XPE, 21(3), 1-9.
Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO). (2006). Client Centred Care. Toronto, ON: Registered Nurses
Association of Ontario.
Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO). (2007). Assessment and management of pain. Toronto, ON:
Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO).
Registered Nurses of Ontario (RNAO). (2009). Supporting persons on Methadone maintenance treatment.
Toronto, ON: Registered Nurses Association of Ontario.
Registered Nurses of Ontario (RNAO). (2010). Strategies to Support Self-Management in Chronic Conditions:
Collaboration. Toronto, ON: Registered Nurses Association of Ontario.
62
Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO). (2012a). Facilitating Person Centred Learning. Toronto, ON:
Registered Nurses Association of Ontario.
Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO). (2012b). Toolkit: Implementation of Best Practice Guidelines
(2nd ed.). Toronto, ON: Registered Nurses Association of Ontario.
Registered Nurses Association of Ontario and Nursing and Healthcare Research Unit (Investn-isciii) (2012). NQuIRE
data dictionary: Assessment and management of pain. Toronto: Registered Nurses Association of Ontario. Madrid:
Nursing and Healthcare Research Unit (Investn-isciii).
Reid, M. C., Papaleontiou, M., Ong, A., Breckman, R., Wethington, E., & Pillemer, K. (2008). Self-management
strategies to reduce pain and improve function among older adults in community settings: A review of the
evidence. Pain Medicine, 9(4), 409-424.
Royal College of Nursing (RCN). (2009). The recognition and assessment of acute pain in children. Retrieved from
http://www.rcn.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/269185/003542.pdf
Royal College of Physicians, British Geriatrics Society, & British Pain Society. (2007). The assessment of pain in older
people: National guidelines. Concise guidance to good practice series, No 8. London: RCP.
Running, A., & Turnbeaugh, E. (2011). Oncology pain and complementary therapy: A review of the literature.
Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing, 15(4), 374-379/
REFERENCES
Schofield, P., & Reid, D. (2006). The assessment and management of pain in older people: A systematic review of
the literature. International Journal on Disability and Human Development, 5(1), 9-15.
Schofield, P., OMahony, S., Collett, B., & Potter, J. (2008). Guidance for the assessment of pain in older adults:
A literature review. British Journal of Nursing, 17(14), 914-918.
Schopflocher, D., Taenzer, P., & Jovey, R. (2011). The prevalence of chronic pain in Canada. Pain Research and
Management, 16(6), 445-450.
Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN). (2012). Annex B: Key to evidence statements and grades of
recommendations. SIGN 50: A guideline developers handbook. Retrieved from http://www.sign.ac.uk/guidelines/
fulltext/50/annexb.html
Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN). (2008). Control of pain in adults with cancer. A national
clinical guideline. No., 106. Edinburgh (Scotland): Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN).
Seers, K., & Carroll, D. (1998), Relaxation techniques for acute pain management: A systematic review. Journal of
Advanced Nursing, 27(3),466475.
Shah, V., Taddio, A., & Rieder, M. J. (2009). Effectiveness and tolerability of pharmacologic and combined
interventions for reducing injection pain during routine childhood immunizations: Systematic review and metaanalyses. Clinical Therapeutics, 31(2), S104-S151.
Shepherd, E., Woodgate, R.L., & Sawatzky, J. (2010). Pain in children with central nervous system cancer: A review
of the literature. Oncology Nursing Forum, 37(4), E318-E330.
Slater, R., Worley, A., Fabrizi, L., Roberts, S., Meek, J., Boyd, S., & Fitzgerald, M. (2010). Evoked potentials
generated by noxious stimulation in the human infant brain. European Journal of Pain, 14(3), 321-326.
63
Spence, K., Henderson-Smart, D., New, K., Evans, C., Whitelaw, J., Woolnough, R., & Australian and New Zealand
Neonatal Network. (2010). Evidenced-based clinical practice guideline for management of newborn pain. Journal
of Paediatrics and Child Health, 46,184192.
Stanford, E. A., Chambers, C. T., Biesanz, J. C., & Chen, E. (2008). The frequency, trajectories and predictors of
adolescent recurrent pain: A population-based approach. Pain, 138(1), 11-21.
Stevens, B., Abbott, L. K., Yamada, J., Harrison, D., Stinson, J., Taddio, A.,Finley, G. A. for the CIHR Team in
Childrens Pain. (2011). Epidemiology and management of painful procedures in children in Canadian Hospitals.
Canadian Medical Association Journal, 183(7), E403-E410.
Stevens, B., Johnston, C., Petryshen, P., & Taddio, A. (1996) Premature Infant Pain Profile: development and initial
validation. Clinical Journal of Pain,12, 13-22.
Stevens, B., Johnston, C., Taddio, A., Gibbins, S., & Yamada, J. (2010). The Premature Infant Pain Profile: Evaluation
13 years after development. Clinical Journal of Pain, 26(9), 813-30.
Stevens, B., Yamada, J., & Ohlsson, A. (2010). Sucrose for analgesia in newborn infants undergoing painful
procedures. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 1.
REFERENCES
Stinson, J. (2009). Pain Assessment. In A. Twycross, S. J. Dowden, & E. Bruce (Eds.), Managing Pain in Children:
A Clinical Guide 2nd Edition, 86. Retrieved from http://books.google.ca/books?id=DO91eoZ2xgMC&pg=PA86
&dq=Hester+%26amp;+Barcus+1986;+Hester+et+al.+1998)+childs+questions&hl=en&sa=X&ei=OrCjUNjkOKniQKV5IDQAQ&ved=0CDIQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Hester%20%26amp%3B%20Barcus%201986%3B%20
Hester%20et%20al.%201998)%20childs%20questions&f=false
Stinson, J. N., Petroz, G. C., Tait, G., Feldman, B. M., Streiner, D., McGrath, P. J., & Stevens, B. J. (2006). e-Ouch:
Usability testing of an electronic chronic pain diary for adolescents with arthritis. The Clinical Journal of Pain,
22(3), 295-305.
Stinson, J., Yamada, J., Dickson, A., Lamba, J., & Stevens, B. (2008). Review of systematic reviews on acute
procedural pain in children in the hospital setting. Pain Research & Management, 13(1), 51-57.
Stinson, J., Yamada, J., Kavanagh, T., Gill, N., & Stevens, B. (2006). Systematic review of the psychometric
properties and feasibility of self-report pain measures for use in clinical trials in children and adolescents.
Pain,125(1-2), 143-57.
Straus, S. E., Tetroe, J., & Graham, I. D. (2009) Introduction, in Knowledge Translation in Health Care: Moving
from Evidence to Practice. Oxford, UK: Wiley-Blackwell.
Streiner, D. L., & Norman, G. R. (2008). Health Measurement Scales A Practical Guide to their Development and
Use (4th edition). New York: Oxford University Press.
Swafford, K. L., Miller, L. L., Tsai, P., Herr, K. A., & Ersek, M. (2009). Improving the process of pain care in nursing
homes: A literature synthesis. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 57(6), 1080-1087.
Symptom Management Group (SMG). (2010). Cancer Care Ontarios Symptom management guidesto-practice: Pain. Cancer Care Ontario (CCO). Retrieved from https://www.cancercare.on.ca/cms/one.
aspx?portalId=1377&pageId=58189
64
Taddio, A., Appleton , M., Bortolussi, R., Chambers, C., Dubey, V., Halperin, S.,...Shah, V. (2010). Reducing the pain
of childhood vaccination: An evidence-based clinical practice guideline. Canadian Medical Association Journal,
182(18), E843-E855.
Taddio, A., Ilersich, A. L., Ipp, M., Kikuta, A., Shah, V., & HELPinKIDS Team. (2009). Physical interventions and
injection techniques for reducing injection pain during routine childhood immunizations: systematic review of
randomized controlled trials and quasi-randomized controlled trials. Clinical Therapeutics, 31(2), S48-76.
Taylor, D.M., Walsham, N., Taylor, S. E., & Wong, L. (2006), Potential interactions between prescription drugs and
complementary and alternative medicines among patients in the emergency department. Pharmacotherapy,
26(5), 634640.
The Cochrane Collaboration. (2011). Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of InterventionsVersion 5.1.0.
Ed. J. P. T. Higgins, & S. Green. Retrieved from www.cochrane-handbook.org
The Hospital for Sick Children, Pain Matters Working Group (Leads: F. Campbell & L. Palozzi) (2013). Pain
Management Clinical Practice Guideline. Toronto: The Hospital for Sick Children.
Tomlinson, D., von Baeyer, C. L., Stinson, J. N., & Sung, L. (2010). A systematic review of faces scales for the selfreport of pain intensity in children. Pediatrics, 26(5), 1168-98.
Twycross, A. (2010). Managing pain in children: Where to from here? Journal of Clinical Nursing, 19(15-16), 2090-2099.
REFERENCES
Uman, L.S., Chambers, C.T., McGrath, P.J., & Kisely, S.R. (2006). Psychological interventions for needle-related
procedural pain and distress in children and adolescents. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 4, 1-63.
Van Dijk, M., & Tibboel, D. (2012). Update on pain assessment in sick neonates and infants. Pediatric Clinics of
North America, 59(5), 1167-1181.
Van Herk, R., van Dijk, M., Baar, F. P. M., Tibboel, D., & de Wit, R. (2007). Observation scales for pain assessment in
older adults with cognitive impairments or communication difficulties. Nursing Research, 56(1), 34-43.
Vargas-Schaffer, G. (2010). Is the WHO analgesic ladder still valid? Canadian Family Physician, 56, 514-517.
Varni, J. W., Thompson, K. L., & Hanson, V. (1987). The Varni/Thompson Pediatric Pain Questionnaire: I. Chronic
musculoskeletal pain in juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Pain, 28, 27-38.
Voepel-Lewis, T., Malviya, S., Tait, A. R., Merkel, S., Foster, R., Krane, E. J., & Davis, P. J. (2008). A comparison of the
clinical utility of pain assessment tools for children with cognitive impairment. Anesthesia and Analgesia, 106(1),
72-78.
Voepel-Lewis, T., Zanotti, J., Dammeyer, J. A., & Merkel, S. (2010). Reliability and validity of the face, legs, activity,
cry, consolability behavioral tool in assessing acute pain in critically ill patients. American Journal of Critical Care,
19(1), 55-61.
Von Baeyer, C. (2011). Interpreting the high prevalence of pediatric chronic pain revealed in community surveys.
Pain, 152, 2683-2684.
Von Baeyer, C. L., & Spagrud, L. J. (2007) Systematic review of observational (behavioural) measures for children
and adolescents aged 3 to 18 years. Pain, 127, 140-150.
65
Watt-Watson, J. (1992). Misbeliefs about pain. In J. Watt-Watson & M. Donovan (Eds.), Pain management: Nursing
perspective (pp. 36-58). St. Louis: Mosby.
Watt-Watson, J., McGillion, M., Hunter, J., Choiniere, M., Clark, A. J., Dewar, A.,...Webber, K. (2009). A survey of
pre-licensure pain curricula in health science faculties in Canadian universities. Pain Research & Management
14(6), 439-444.
Watt-Watson, J., Peter, E., Clark, A.J., Dewar, A., Hadjistavropoulos, T., Morley-Forster, P.,... Campbell-Yeo,
M. (2013). The ethics of Canadian entry-to-practice pain competencies: How are we doing? Pain Research &
Management 18(1), 25-32.
Watt-Watson, J., Siddall, P. J., & Carr, E. (2012). Interprofessional pain education: The road to successful pain
management outcomes. Pain Management, 2(5), 417-420.
Watt-Watson, J., Stevens, B., Katz, J., Costello, J., Reid. D., & David, T. (2004). Impact of a pain education
intervention on postoperative pain management. Pain, 9, 73-85.
Watt-Watson, J., Stevens, B., Streiner, D., Garfinkel, P., & Gallop, R. (2001). Relationship between pain knowledge
and pain management outcomes for their postoperative cardiac patients. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 36(4),
535-545.
REFERENCES
Websters New World College Dictionary . (2010). Definition of characteristic. Wiley Publishing Inc., Cleveland,
Ohio. Retrieved from http://www.yourdictionary.com/characteristic
Wilson-Smith, E. M. (2011). Procedural pain management in neonates, infants and children. British Journal of
Pain, 5(4), 4-12.
Woolf, C. (2004). Pain: Moving from symptom control toward mechanism-specific pharmacologic management.
Annals of Internal Medicine, 140, 441-551.
World Health Organization (WHO). (2009). More than words. Conceptual framework for the international
classification for patient safety. Version 1.1. Final Technical Report, January 2009. Retrieved from http://www.who.
int/patientsafety/en/
Wuhrman, E., & Cooney, M. F. (2011). Acute pain: Assessment and treatment. Topics in Advanced Practice Nursing
e-Journal. Retrieved from http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/735034
Yaster, M., Krane, E. J., Kaplan, R.F., Cote, C. J., & Lappe, D. G. (1997). Pediatric Pain Management and Sedation
Handbook. St. Louis, Mosby Year Book, Inc.
Zhou, H., Roberts, P., & Horgan, L. (2008). Association between self-report pain ratings of child and parents, child
and nurse and parent and nurse dyads: Meta-analysis. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 63(4), 334-342.
Zhu, L. M., Stinson, J., Palozzi, L., Weingarten, K., Hogan, M-E., Duong, S., Taddio, A. (2012). Improvements in
pain outcomes in a Canadian pediatric teaching hospital following implementation of a multifaceted, knowledge
translation initiative. Pain Research Management, 17(3), 173-179.
Zwakhalen, S.M.G., Hamers, J.P.H., Abu-Saad, H.H., & Berger, M.P.F. (2006). Pain in elderly people with severe
dementia: A systematic review of behavioural pain assessment tools. BMC Geriatrics, 6(3), 1-15.
66
Appendix A: Glossary of Terms

Addiction: A primary, chronic, neurobiological disease with genetic, psychosocial, and environmental factors
influencing its development and manifestations. It is characterized by behaviour that includes one or more of
the following: impaired control over drug use, compulsive use, continued use despite harm, and craving (National
Opioid Use Guideline Group, 2010).
Attribute: A quality or characteristic of the person, thing, group (Websters New World College Dictionary, 2010)
Best practice guideline: Systematically developed statements to assist practitioner and client decisions about
appropriate health care for specific clinical (practice) circumstances (Field & Lohr, 1990).
Care bundle: Care bundles assist health-care providers to consistently deliver the best possible care for persons
experiencing a specific condition or treatments. Care bundles are a small set of evidence-based practices
approximately three to five which if performed are known to improve the outcomes for persons experiencing
the specific condition or treatments (Institute for Healthcare Improvement, 2011).
Characteristic: See Attributes (Websters New World College Dictionary. Copyright 2010)
Client: A client may be an individual (patient, person, resident, or consumer) and include family members,
caregivers, substitute decision makers, groups or community (CNO, 2013b; Mental Health Commission of Canada, 2009; RNAO,
2006). In this guideline, we have used the word person to describe the individual with the presence, or risk of,
any type of pain. See Substitute Decision Maker.
APPENDICES
Clinical practice guideline: See best practice guideline

Consensus: A process for making policy decisions, not a scientific method for creating new knowledge.
Consensus development makes the best use of available information, be that scientific data or the collective
wisdom of the participants (Black et al., 1999).
Culture: Culture refers to the shared and learned values, beliefs, norms and ways of life of an individual or a
group. It influences thinking, decisions and actions (CNO, 2013b).
Dependency (physical): A state of adaptation manifested by a drug class-specific withdrawal syndrome that
can be produced by abrupt cessation, rapid dose reduction, decreasing blood level of the drug or administration
of an antagonist (National Opioid Use Guideline Group, 2010).
Education recommendations: Statements of educational requirements and educational approaches or

strategies for the introduction, implementation and sustainability of the best practice guideline.
67
Epidural: The injection of a therapeutic agent into the anatomical space filled with fat and blood vessels
located in the spinal canal, on or outside the dura mater (tough membrane surrounding the spinal cord);
synonyms are extradural and peridural (RNAO, 2007).
Evidence: Evidence is information that comes closest to the facts of a matter. The form it takes depends on
context. The findings of high-quality, methodologically appropriate research, provide the most accurate
evidence. As research is often incomplete and sometimes contradictory or unavailable, other kinds of
information are necessary supplements to, or stand-ins for research. The evidence base for a decision involves
combining the multiple forms of evidence and balancing rigor with expedience while privileging the former
over the latter (Canadian Health Services Research Foundation, 2006).
Interactions: Potential interactions (adverse reactions) between prescription drugs and complementary and
alternative medicines (cross-therapy) (Taylor, Walsham, Taylor, & Wong, 2006).
Interprofessional care: Inter-professional care is the provision of comprehensive health services to patients
by multiple health-care providers who work collaboratively to deliver quality care within and across settings
(Health Care Innovation Workgroup, 2012).
Intrathecal: The injection of a therapeutic agent into the sheath surrounding the spinal cord which is a
APPENDICES
fluid-filled area located between the innermost layer of covering (the pia mater) of the spinal cord and the
middle layer of covering (the arachnoid mater). This is also referred to as the subarachnoid space (Adapted: Mosbys
Dental Dictionary, 2nd edition, 2008).
Misbeliefs: Incorrect beliefs that are thought to be true despite evidence to the contrary and that prevent
effective pain assessment and management. (Watt-Watson,1992).
Nursing order set: A nursing order set is a group of evidence-based interventions that are specific to the
domain of nursing; it is ordered independently by nurses (i.e., without a physicians signature) to standardize
the care provided for a specific clinical condition (in this case, pain).
Opioid: Preferred term to use instead of narcotic in the context of analgesia as it refers to drugs used for pain
management such as morphine, oxycodone, and codeine. Opioid includes all analgesics, natural and synthetic
(National Opioid Use Guideline Group, 2010).
Organization and policy recommendations: Statements of conditions required for a practice setting that
enables successful implementation of the best practice guideline. The conditions for success are largely the
responsibility of the organization, although they may have implications for policy at a broader government or
societal level.
68
Pain: An unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or
described in terms of such damage (IASP, 2012c).
Pain can be acute or persistent (chronic) or both at the same time.

Acute pain
is awareness of noxious signaling from recently damaged tissue, complicated by sensitization in

the periphery and within the central nervous system. Its intensity and resolution changes with inflammatory
processes, tissue healing, and movement. Unpleasant acute pain promotes survival. Acute pain is short-term
pain of less than twelve weeks duration.

Persistent (Chronic)
pain is pain that lasts after the usual time for healing (in pain after trauma or surgery)
(IASP, 2012b).
Pain is commonly classified as nociceptive or neuropathic (IASP, 2012b).

Nociceptive pain arises from actual or threatened damage to non-neural tissue and due to activation of
nociceptors. It occurs with a normally functioning nervous system versus abnormal functioning in
neuropathic pain.

Neuropathic pain is caused by a lesion or disease of the somatosensory nervous system.
Pain characteristics: Pain can be described according to specific characteristics such as; 1) body area(s)
involved; 2) body system(s) affected; 3) duration; 4) frequency, 5) intensity 6) type of sensations (e.g., stabbing,
throbbing); and 7) root cause (if known) (Merskey & Bogduk, 1994).
Patient-controlled analgesia (PCA): Self-administration of analgesics by a patient instructed in doing so;

refers to self-dosing usually with intravenous opioid (refer to definition for opioid) administered by means of a
programmable pump but also can refer to oral opioids self administered in institutions (RNAO, 2007).
APPENDICES
Person: In this guideline, the word we use to describe people with the presence, or risk of, any type of pain.
Practice recommendations: Statements of best practice directed at the practice of health-care professionals;
ideally, they are based on evidence.
Quality: The degree to which health-care services for individuals and populations increase the likelihood of
desired health outcomes and are consistent with current professional knowledge (World Health Organization [WHO], 2009).
Randomized controlled trial: Clinical trials involve at least one test treatment and one control treatment,
concurrent enrolment and follow-up of the test-and control-treated groups, and in which the treatments to be
administered are selected by a random process.
69
Relaxation techniques: Techniques used to relieve stress such as exercise, biofeedback, hypnosis, and
meditation which are used in cognitive-behavioural therapy to teach individuals different ways of coping with
stress (Adapted from Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine, 2008).
Self-report: Ability to communicate either verbally or nonverbally (blinking of eye, writing about ones pain).
Self-report requires the capacity to understand the task such as the use of pain scales and the ability to
communicate in some manner about the pain experienced. Self report requires cognitive skills (abstract
thinking) and is influenced by context (Herr et al., 2011; Zwakhalen et al., 2006).
Stakeholder: An individual, group, or organization with a vested interest in the decisions and actions of
organizations that may attempt to influence decisions and actions (Baker et al., 1999). Stakeholders include all
individuals or groups who will be directly or indirectly affected by the change or solution to the problem.
Substitute decision maker: A person identified by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care: Health Care
Consent Act, 1996 (HCCA) who makes treatment decisions on a continuous basis for someone who is deemed
mentally incapable. The HCCA provides a hierarchy of persons eligible, usually a spouse, partner or relative.
A power of attorney for personal care (treatment) may not be the same individual who has power of attorney
for property (CNO, 2013a; Health Canada, 2006).
Systematic review: The Cochrane Collaboration (2011) says, a systematic review attempts to collate all
APPENDICES
empirical evidence that fits pre-specified eligibility criteria in order to answer a specific research question.
A systematic review uses systematic, explicit and reproducible methods to identify, select, and critically appraise
relevant research, and to collect and analyze data from the studies that are included in the review (The Cochrane
Collaboration, 2011).
Tolerance: A state of adaptation in which exposure to a drug induces changes that result in a diminution
of one or more of the drugs effects over time. The occurrence of withdrawal symptoms should NOT be
considered as addiction. These symptoms are a physiological response to decreased opioid drug levels.
(National Opioid Use Guideline Group, 2010).
70
Appendix B: Guideline Development Process

The Registered Nurses Association of Ontario has made a commitment to ensure this best-practice guideline is
based on the best available evidence. In order to meet this commitment, a monitoring and revision process has been
established for each guideline every five years.
For this edition of the guideline, RNAO assembled an expert panel of health-care professionals comprised of members
from the previous panel as well as other recommended individuals with particular expertise in this practice area.
A systematic review of the evidence took into consideration the scope of the original guideline and subsequent
revision supplement (2007). However, the ultimate focus of this review was on core competencies within the scope
of nursing practice required for assessing and managing pain, which was supported by four clinical questions.
It captured relevant literature and guidelines published between 2007 and 2012. These are the research questions
that guided the systematic review:
1. What are the most effective nursing methods of assessment of pain in persons?
2. What are the most effective nursing interventions to prevent and manage pain in persons (pharmacological;
non-pharmacological, complementary/alternative)?
3. What education is needed for nursing students on effective pain care?
4. How do health-care organizations support optimal pain assessment and management practices?
The RNAO expert panels mandate was to review the original (2002) and revision supplement (2007) in light of the
new evidence, specifically to ensure the validity, appropriateness and safety of the guideline recommendations. This
edition is the result of the expert panels work to integrate the most current and best evidence to update the guideline
recommendations and supporting evidence from the 2007 revision supplement.
APPENDICES
71
Appendix C:
Process for Systematic Review/Search Strategy
Guideline Review
The Registered Nurses Association of Ontario guideline development teams project coordinator searched an
established list of websites for guidelines and other relevant content published between 2006 and 2012. This list was
compiled based on knowledge of evidence-based practice websites and recommendations from the literature. Detailed
information about the search strategy for existing guidelines, including the list of websites searched and inclusion
criteria, is available online at www.RNAO.ca. Guidelines were also identified by members of the expert panel.
Members of the expert panel critically appraised 16 international guidelines using the Appraisal of Guidelines for
Research and Evaluation Instrument II (Brouwers et al., 2010). From this review, the following eleven guidelines were
selected to inform the review process:
American Medical Directors Association (AMDA). (2012). Pain management in the long-term care setting. Columbia,
MD: AMDA.
Cancer Care Ontario. (2008). Practice Evidence-Based Series #16-2. Cancer-related pain management: A report of
evidence-based recommendations to guide practice. Cancer Care Ontario (CCO).
Ontario Cancer Symptom Management Collaborative (OCSMC). (2010). Cancer Care Ontarios Symptom Management
Guides-to-Practice: Pain. Cancer Care Ontario (CCO). Retrieved from https://www.cancercare.on.ca/toolbox/symptools/.
Guideline Development Group (GDG). (2008). The recognition and assessment of acute pain in children. Royal College
of Nursing, London, UK.
APPENDICES
Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO) (2007). Assessment and management of pain. Toronto (ON):
Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO).
Royal College of Nursing. (2009). The recognition and assessment of acute pain in children. Royal College of Nursing,
London, UK.
Royal College of Physicians, British Geriatrics Society and British Pain Society. (2007). The assessment of pain in older
people: national guidelines. Concise guidance to good practice series, No 8. London: RCP.
Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN). (2008). Control of pain in adults with cancer. A national clinical
guideline. No., 106. Edinburgh (Scotland): Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN).
Spence, K., Henderson-Smart, D., New, K., Evans, C., Whitelaw, J., Woolnough, R. and Australian and New Zealand
Neonatal Network. (2010). Evidence-based clinical practice guideline for management of newborn pain. Journal of
Paediatrics and Child Health, 46, 184192.
Symptom Management Group (SMG). (2010). Cancer Care Ontarios Symptom management guides-to-practice: Pain.
Cancer Care Ontario (CCO).
Taddio, A., Appleton , M., Bortolussi, R., Chambers, C., Dubey, V., Halperin, S.,...Shah, V. (2010). Reducing the pain of
childhood vaccination: An evidence-based clinical practice guideline. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 182(18),
E843-E855.
72
Systematic Review
Concurrent with the review of existing guidelines, a search for recent literature relevant to the scope of the guideline
was conducted with guidance from the Registered Nurses Association of Ontarios chair of the expert panel. The
systematic literature search was conducted by a health sciences librarian. The search, limited to English-language
articles published between 2006 and 2012, was applied to CINAHL, Embase, DARE, Medline, Cochrane Central
Register of Controlled Trials and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, ERIC, Joanna Briggs, and PsycINFO
databases. The initial search for relevant studies pertaining to questions 1 and 2 returned 11,768 articles. Due to the
volume of research, the inclusion criteria for study methodology was changed and limited to meta-analysis, systematic
reviews, integrative reviews, randomized controlled trials and qualitative evidence syntheses. Detailed information
about the search strategy for the systematic review, including the inclusion and exclusion criteria as well as search
terms, is available online at www.RNAO.ca. Two research associates (masters prepared nurses) independently assessed
the eligibility of studies according to established inclusion and exclusion criteria. The Registered Nurses Association
of Ontario Best Practice Guideline program manager working with the expert panel, resolved disagreements.
Quality appraisal scores for 12 papers (a random sample of 14% of articles eligible for data extraction and quality
appraisal) were independently assessed by the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario Best Practice Guideline
research associates. Acceptable inter-rater agreement (kappa statistic, K=0.63) justified proceeding with quality
appraisal and data extraction by dividing the remaining studies equally between the two research associates (Fleiss, Levin,
& Paik, 2003). A final summary of literature findings was completed. The comprehensive data tables and summary were
provided to all panel members. In September 2012, the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario expert panel
convened to revise and achieve consensus on guideline recommendations and discussion of evidence.
A review of the most recent literature and relevant guidelines published between 2006 and 2012 resulted in a complete
update of existing guideline recommendations. This third edition of the guideline is a culmination of the original
work, supplement and findings from the literature. The following flow diagrams of the review process for guidelines
and articles are presented according to PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses)
guidelines (Mohler, Liberati, Tetzlaff, Altman & The Prisma Group, 2009).
APPENDICES
A complete Bibliography of all full text articles screened for inclusion is available at http://rnao.ca/bpg/guidelines/
assessment-and-management-pain
73
Guidelines indentified through

website searching
(n=33)
Additional guidelines identified

by panel
(n=0)
Guidelines screened
(n=32)
Guidelines excluded
(n=16)
ELIGIBILITY
Guidelines after duplicates removed

(n=32)
Guidelines assessed
for quality
(n=16)
Guidelines excluded
(n=5)
INCLUDED
APPENDICES
SCREENING
IDENTIFICATION
Guideline Review Process Flow Diagram
Guidelines included
(n=11)
Flow diagram adapted from D. Moher, A. Liberati, J. Tetzlaff, D. G. Altman, & The PRISMA Group (2009). Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews
and Meta-Analyses: The PRISMA Statement. BMJ 339, b2535, doi: 10.1136/bmj.b2535
74
IDENTIFICATION
Article Review Process Flow Diagram
Records identified through

database searching
(n=19668)
Additional records identified

through other sources e.g. panel
(n=18)
SCREENING
Records after duplicates removed

(n=11768)
*Records excluded*
(n=11332)
Full-text articles
assessed for relevance
(n=179)
Full-text articles
excluded
(n=91)
INCLUDED
ELIGIBILITY
Records
excluded
(n=257)
APPENDICES
Records screened
(title and abstract)
(n=436)
Studies included
(n=88)
*Records excluded*: not within scope and due to volume of studies.

Flow diagram adapted from D. Moher, A. Liberati, J. Tetzlaff, D. G. Altman, & The PRISMA Group (2009). Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews
and Meta-Analyses: The PRISMA Statement. BMJ 339, b2535, doi: 10.1136/bmj.b2535
75
Appendix D: Pain Assessment and Management

Resources List of Websites
LIST OF WEBSITES ON PAIN ASSESSMENT OR MANAGEMENT
About.com
Covers Health topics such as:

Chronic
Pain
APPENDICES
Assessment e.g., FLACC Scale

Diagnosis and Management
Treatment
Coping
76
Accreditation
Canadas
Qmentum
Program
Pain
Standards
The
Association
of Paediatric
Anaesthetists
of Great
Britain and
Ireland
Guidelines:
Australian
and New
Zealand.
College of
Anaesthetists
and Faculty
of Pain
Medicine
Professional and educational documents e.g.

Acute Pain Management: Scientific Evidence
Guidelines
http://pain.about.com/od/
testingdiagnosis/ig/pain-scales/
Flacc-Scale.htm
http://www.
canadianpainsociety.ca/pdf/
Standards-Statement-CCHSA.pdf
http://www.apagbi.org.uk/
Good
Practice in Postoperative and

Procedural Pain Management, 2nd edition.
http://www.fpm.anzca.edu.au/
LIST OF WEBSITES ON PAIN ASSESSMENT OR MANAGEMENT ...cont

International
Association
for the Study
of Pain
(IASP)
Site brings together scientists, clinicians, health

care providers, and policy makers to stimulate
and support the study of pain and to translate
that knowledge into improved pain relief
worldwide.
http://www.iasp-pain.org/AM/
Template.cfm?Section=About_
IASP3&Template=/
CM/HTMLDisplay.
cfm&ContentID=1608
Research
dissemination on assessment and

management of pain (e.g., updates on
assessment tools)
Clinical
Updates Information on variety of

pain topics and types of pain
The British
Pain Society
The
Canadian
Pain Society
Guidelines for Pain Management Programmes

for adults
http://www.britishpainsociety.
org/book_pmp_main.pdf
Guidance on: The assessment of pain in older

people
http://www.bgs.
org.uk/Publications/
Publication%20Downloads/
Sep2007PainAssessment.pdf
Resources:
http://www.
canadianpainsociety.ca/en/
about_policy.html
Accreditation
Canada Manual
Pain Standards
Fact Sheets
Pain
teaching Senarios
Website
APPENDICES
Pain
Links
Other:
French/English
versions
Journals
Research
Care Search
Funding Opportunities
Palliative Care Knowledge Network:

Clinical
Evidence
Patient
Management
Pain
http://www.caresearch.com.
au/caresearch/ClinicalPractice/
Physical/Pain/AssessmentTools/
tabid/748/Default.aspx
Assessment Tools
77

College of
Physicians of
Canada
College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC)

resources for chronic non cancer pain:
material
web
http://www.cfpc.ca/
Chronic_Non_Cancer_Pain_
Resources/#sthash.pmrNPaOI.
dpuf
resources,
papers
and clinical practice guidelines for

physicians who have a special interest in
Chronic Non Cancer Pain
McMaster
UniversityNational
Pain Centre
Guidelines
Canadian
Guideline for Safe and Effective

Use of Opioids for Chronic Non-Cancer Pain
Appendix B-2: Opioid Risk Tool

Management
of Primary Headache in Adults
http://nationalpaincentre.
mcmaster.ca/index.html
Opioid Risk Tool:
http://nationalpaincentre.
mcmaster.ca/opioid/cgop_b_
app_b02.html
Evidence-Informed
Primary Care
Management of Low Back Pain
Pharmacological
management of chronic
neuropathic pain Consensus statement and
guidelines from the Canadian Pain Society
Recommendations for
Medical Management of Chronic NonMalignant Pain (CPSO 2000)
APPENDICES
Evidence-Based
Reference
Guide for Clinicians for the

Medical Management of Chronic NonMalignant Pain (CPSO 2000)

Mobile
Pain
Treatment
Topics
Applications
Noncommercial resource for healthcare

professionals & their patients which provides
open access to:
clinical
news
information,
research, and education on

evidence-based pain-management practices
Pain
78
& Disability Assessment Tools
http://pain-topics.org/index.php
Pain Assessment Tools:
http://pain-topics.org/clinical_
concepts/assess.php

RNAO Best
Practices
Resources
Tookit- Long
Term Care
Toolkit for Pain Assessment and Management

Pain
Clinical Concepts
Opioid
http://ltctoolkit.rnao.ca/
resources/pain
and Non Opioid Treatment
Education
Healthcare provider CME; Client
Research
Client
University of
Toronto
Resources
Pain Resources Guide

Assessment
http://guides.library.
utoronto.ca/content.
php?pid=278354&sid=2292934
and Management
Tools
Education
World
Health
Organization
(WHO)
and Reading Resources
Guidelines
http://www.who.int/
publications/guidelines/en/
index.html
Guidelines: Palliative Care Program Symptom

Guideline
http://www.northernhealth.
ca/Portals/0/Your_Health/HCC/
Hospice%20Palliative%20Care/
NH%20HPC%20Resources/
Symptom%20Guidelines%20
2nd%20Edition.pdf
PALLIATIVE CARE
City of
Hope Pain
& Palliative
Care
Resource
APPENDICES
Frasier
Health
Hospice
http://prc.coh.org/pain_
assessment.asp
CANCER CARE
Cancer Care
Ontario
Toolbox: Guidelines
https://www.cancercare.on.ca/
79

Frasier
Health
Hospice
Guidelines: Palliative Care Program Symptom

Guideline
http://www.northernhealth.
ca/Portals/0/Your_Health/HCC/
Hospice%20Palliative%20Care/
NH%20HPC%20Resources/
Symptom%20Guidelines%20
2nd%20Edition.pdf
Sick Kids
Hospital
Pain Education Pamphlets:
http://www.aboutkidshealth.
ca/En/HealthAZ/Pages/default.
aspx?name=p
Pain
After an Operation: Taking Care of

Your Childs Pain at Home
Pain
At Home: Taking Care of Your Child
Pain
Diary: Pain After an Operation
Pain
Medicines
Pain
Relief: Comfort Kit
Pain:
How to Talk to Kids About Their Pain
APPENDICES
Pain-Free
Injections
Pain Resource Centre
http://www.aboutkidshealth.ca/
En/ResourceCentres/Pain/Pages/
default.aspx
Pain Assessment tools:
http://www.aboutkidshealth.
ca/En/ResourceCentres/Pain/
AtHome/PainAssessment/Pages/
Pain-Assessment-Tool.aspx
Downloadable
pain assessment tools

for parents to assess pain in their noncommunicating children.
Parents Postoperative Pain Measure
(non-communicating) checklist [PDF]
Parents Pain Measure (non-
communicating) checklist (PDF)
Pain Diary
80
Appendix E: Validated Self-Report Tools for

Children, Adolescents and Adults
UNIDIMENSIONAL TOOLS
Measure
Indicator/Components
Considerations
Faces Pain
ScaleRevised
(FPS-R)
The
Intended
Faces Pain ScaleRevised (FPS-R) was

altered so that the Faces
Pain Scale (FPS) was
compatible in scoring
with other self-rating
and behavioural scales
Six
gender-neutral faces
Faces
ranged from no
pain to as much pain as
is possible
Scored
Numeric
Rating Score
(NRS)
for use in children 5-12 years old but has

been used in children aged 4-18 years
Well
established evidence of reliability, validity and

ability to detect change
High
Translated
limited evidence regarding

interpretability of scores and mixed evidence
about the acceptability of the scale with children
0-10
Asks
persons to rate
their pain from 0 to 10
Used
Scored
Well
in adults, older adults, and adolescents and

children over age 8.
established evidence of reliability, validity,
and ability to detect change
No
A
list of adjectives that

describe different levels
of pain intensity
point VRS includes the
descriptors of: no pain,
mild, moderate, severe,
very severe
APPENDICES
0-10 with the

anchors of 0 being no
pain and 10 being pain
as bad as it can be
5
into 35 languages
Disadvantages:
equipment is needed to administer this measure
High
Verbal
Rating
Score (VRS)
feasibility (quick and easy to use)
Used
with adults to explain levels of pain intensity

(mild [1-3], moderate [4-6], severe [7-10])
Established
High
validity
Similar
to the Present Pain Intensity that is part of

the McGill Pain Questionnaire Short Form
Disadvantages:
if a long list , the person will need

to be familiar with the entire list before they can
select the one that describes their pain
81
MULTIDIMENSIONAL TOOLS
Measure
Indicators/Components
Considerations
Brief Pain
Inventory,
Short Form
(BPI-SF)
Valid
APPENDICES
82
Assessment Areas:
Severity of pain,
impact of pain on daily
function, location of
pain, pain medications
and amount of pain
relief in the past 24
hours or the past week
Gender neutral body
outline to describe
location of pain
4-items assessing pain
intensity. Measured
by using a 0-10 NRS
anchored with 0=no
pain and 10=pain as
bad as you can imagine
worst pain in the last
24 hours; least pain in
the last 24 hours; pain
on average; how much
pain you have right now
2-items assessing
pain treatment and
effectiveness
7-questions related to
pain related interference.
Measured using a 0-10
NRS anchored with
0=no interference and
10=completely interferes.
Interference with:
general activities; mood;
walking ability; normal
work; relations with
other people; sleep;
enjoyment of life
and reliable instrument that was developed

to provide information on pain intensity and the
degree to which pain interferes with activities in
adult persons with cancer
Documented
in validation studies of cancer and

non-cancer pain, including surgical persons with
pain from chronic diseases or conditions such as
cancer, osteoarthritis and low back pain, or with
pain from acute conditions such as postoperative
pain
Responds
to both behavioural and

pharmacological pain management interventions
Advantages:
can be self-administered or used in

an interview format, takes 5 minutes to complete,
validated in more than three dozen languages
Free
of charge for non-funded academic research

and individual clinical practice
Website:
http://www.mdanderson.org/educationand-research/departments-programs-and-labs/
departments-and-divisions/symptom-research/
symptom-assessment-tools/brief-pain-inventory.
html
MULTIDIMENSIONAL TOOLS ...cont

Measure
Indicators/Components
Considerations
Pediatric
Pain
Questionnaire
(PPQ)
Pain intensity measured

using:
Originally
0-10
cm VAS anchored
with happy and sad
faces for present and
worst pain
Gender
neutral body
outline to describe
location of pain
(number of body areas
marked)
Pain intensity (choosing

four of eight coloured
crayons to represent
various levels of pain
intensity from none,
mild, moderate and
severe)
developed for children and adolescents

with recurrent and persistent pain (juvenile
arthritis)
Intended
for use in children aged 5-16 years; used

in children 4-18 years
Child,
adolescent and parent versions
Well
established evidence of reliability and

validity and some evidence of ability to detect
change
Advantages:
minimal training and takes 10-15

minutes to complete
Children
younger than 7 years will usually need

to be read the instructions to complete the VAS
and body outline
Free
for unfunded research
Website:
www.pedsgl.org
46
APPENDICES
word descriptors
to assess the sensory,
affective and evaluative
qualities of pain
(Cleeland & Ryan, 1994; Hicks, von Baeyer, Spafford, van Korlaar, & Goodenough, 2001; Jensen & Karoly, 2001; Jensen, Karoly, & Huger, 1987; Stinson,
Yamada, Kavanagh, Gill, & Stevens, 2006; Tomlinson, von Baeyer, Stinson, & Sung, 2010; Varni, Thompson, & Hanson, 1987)
83
Appendix F: Example: Algorithm for Assessing

Pain in Hospitalized Children
Pain Assessment: WHEN?
On admission and with vital signs
AND
Before/during/after potentially painful interventions
With moderate to severe pain as required
Pain Assessment & Reassessment: HOW?

Use developmentally appropriate tool
Self-report
Behavioural Obversation
Pain Word Scale

3-7 yrs
FACES
5-12 yrs
Numeric Rating Scale 7-18 yrs
PIPP
Preterm &
Full Term
NIPS 0-1 year
FLACC 2 mo - 7 yrs
Revised FLACC Nonverbal & cognitive

impairment
NCCPC
Is pain
present?
3-18 yrs
Non-communicative
patients
NO
APPENDICES
YES
Pain Management: INTERVENTIONS

Self-report
Pharmacological
Physical
Psychological
Apply topical anesthetic for IVs/phlebotomy
Heat and/or cold
Explanation
Give analgesics regularly

Use least invasive route (orally if possible)
Mild pain: Acetaminophen NSAID
Moderate & severe pain:
(NOT for neonates)

Vapocoolant spray
(invasive procedure)
Distraction
Relaxation
Consider:
Massage
Pressure
Repositioning
Activity out of bed
Acetimin* NSAID + opioid
Ensure no contraindications exist
Swaddling (Neonate)
Sucrose (< 18 months)
Child Life Specialist

Psychology/pshchiatry
consult for coping
strategies
Reassess in 1 hour
Algorithm based on the Hospital for Sick Childrens Pain Assessment Policy and Pain Management Clinical Practice Guideline. Revision May 2013
Note. From The Hospital for Sick Children: Pain Management Clinical Practice Guideline, Policies and Procedures Database, by The Hospital for Sick
Children, Pain Matters Working Group (Leads: F. Campbell. & L. Palozzi). Copyright 2013 by The Hospital for Sick Children. Reprinted with permission.
84
Appendix G: Example: Algorithm for Assessing

Pain in Adults with Cancer (Source: Cancer Care Ontario)
ALGORITHM: Pain in Adults with Cancer: Screening an Assessment
SCREEN FOR PAIN USING ESAS AT EACH VISIT
ESAS score 1 to 3
ESAS score 4 to 6
ESAS score 7 to 10
Assessment using Acronym O, P, Q, R, S, T, U and V

Onset
When did it begin? How long does it last? How often does it occur?
Provoking/Palliating
What brings it on? What makes it better? What makes it worse?
Quality
What does it feel like? Can you describe it?
Region/Radiation
Where is it? Does it spread anywhere?
Severity
What is the intensity of this symptom (On a scale of 0 to 10, with 0 being none and 10 being
worst possible)? Right now? At best? At worst? On average? How bothered are you by this
symptom? Are there any other symptom(s) that accompany this symptom?
Treatment
What medications or treatments are you currently using? How effective are these? Do you have
any side effects from the medications/treatments? What medications/treatments have you used
in the past?
What do you believe is causing this symptom? How is this symptom affecting you and/or
Impact on You
your family?
Values
What is your goal for this symptom? What is your comfort goal or acceptable level for this
APPENDICES
Understanding/
symptom (On a scale of 0 to 10, with 0 being none and 10 being worst possible)? Are there any
other views or feelings about this symptom that are important to you or your family?
* Physical assessment (focus on area of pain to determine cause and type of pain); Pertinent History (risk factors); Assess
risks for addiction; Associated symptoms: e.g. nausea, vomiting, constipation, numbness, tingling, urinary retention.
Mild Pain
Patient not using analgesia
effectively
Mild pain not interfering with ADLs
Moderate Pain
Severe Pain
Pain or analgesics interfering

with function and ADLs
Patient states he/she cannot
manage pain with present
treatment regime
Patient in acute distress/discomfort

Pain onset is sudden and acute
Acute exacerbation of previous levels
Has developed a new site for pain
Associated motor weakness
Analgesics interfering with ADLs
CHART CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
85
Interventions for all patients, as appropriate

NON-PHARMACOLOGICAL
Psycho-social-spiritual
interventions (patient education, counseling, recreational activities, relaxation therapy imagery,

social interaction, spiritual counselling).
Other
therapies (physiotherapy, occupational therapy, massage, aromatherapy, music therapy, acupuncture,

transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, reflexology, Reiki, hypnotherapy).
Other
interventions such as radiation therapy, vertebroplasty, surgery and anesthetic interventions should be considered
in patients with difficult to control pain.
Patient Education
Taking
routine and breakthrough analgesics, adverse effect management, non-pharmacologic measures that can be
used in conjunction with pharmacologic treatment.
PHARMACOLOGICAL
severity of pain determines the strength of analgesics required specified by the World Health Organization (WHO)
Analgesic Ladder.
APPENDICES
The
The type and cause of the pain will influence the choice of adjuvant analgesic (e.g., nociceptive, neuropathic, bone
metastases).
In the presence of reduced kidney function all opioids should be used with caution and at reduced doses and/or
frequency.
Fentanyl, methadone and oxycodone are the safest opioids of choice in patients with chronic kidney disease.
Methadone requires an experienced prescriber, check for significant drug interactions before prescribing any drug to a
patient on methadone.
When using a transmucosal fentanyl formulation for breakthrough pain the effective dose should be found by upward
titration independent of the regular opioid dose.
For those with stabilized severe pain and on a stable opioid dose or those with swallowing difficulties or intractable
nausea and vomiting, fentanyl transdermal patches may be appropriate, provided the pain is stable.
Classify the pain nociceptive, neuropathic or mixed?
The type and cause of the pain will influence the choice of adjuvant analgesic (e.g., nociceptive, neuropathic, bone
metastases).
The choice of antidepressant or anticonvulsant should be based on concomitant disease, drug therapy and drug side
effects and interactions experienced.
There is insufficient evidence to support a recommendation for topical opioids.
There is insufficient evidence to support first or second line therapy of cancer pain with cannabinoids but they may
have a role in refractory pain, particularly refractory neuropathic pain.
Transdermal fentanyl should not be used in opioid-nave patients.
Specialist palliative care advice should be considered for the appropriate choice, dosage and route of opioid in patients
with reduced kidney function or in patients with difficult to control pain.
ADVERSE EFFECTS OF OPIOIDS

Many
opioid-nave patients will develop nausea or vomiting when starting opioids, tolerance usually occurs within
5-10 days. Patients commencing an opioid for moderate to severe pain should have access to an antiemetic to be taken
if required.
The
majority of patients taking opioids for moderate to severe pain will develop constipation. Little or no tolerance
develops. The commonest prophylactic treatment for preventing opioid-induced constipation is a combination of
stimulant (senna or bisocodyl) and osmotic laxatives (lactulose or PEG 3350).
86
Pain in Adults with Cancer: Care Map

Mild Pain
Care Pathway 1
Moderate Pain
Care Pathway 2
Severe Pain
Care Pathway 3
PHARMACOLOGICAL
PHARMACOLOGICAL
PHARMACOLOGICAL
Treatment with nonopioids
Treatment with opioids
Treatment with strong opioids
If the person is opioid nave: Oral: Morphine 5-10mg PO q4h and 5mg
PO q1h PRN OR hydromorphine 1.0-2.0mg PO q4h and 1.0mg PO q1h
PRN OR Subcutaneous: Morphine 2.5-5mg subcut q4h & 2.5mg subcut
q30 min PRN OR hydromorphone 0.5-1.0mg subcut q4h & 0.5mg subcut
q30 min PRN.
If the patient is taking an opioid with q4h dosing, increase the regular
and breakthrough doses by 25%. Change frequency of the breakthrough
to q1h PRN if PO and q30 min PRN if subcut.
If the patient is taking a sustained release opioid, increase this dose by

25%. Change the breakthrough dose to 10-15% of the regular 24h dose,
either q1h PRN PO or q30 min PRN subcut.
Titrate the dose every 24h to reflect the previous 24h total dose received.
If unmanageable opioid-limiting adverse effects are present (e.g.,

nausea, drowsiness, myoclonus), consider switching to another opioid
and re-titrate or consult palliative care.
For patients with severe uncontrolled pain consider switching back to

an equivalent daily dose of immediate release morphine to allow more
rapid titration of dose or switch to a sc preparation/infusion.
Meperidine and pentazocine should generally not be used in cancer

patients with chronic or acute pain.
If there is difficulty getting the pain under control consider a

consultation to palliative care.
Acetaminophen and
NSAIDS including COX-2
inhibitors should be
considered at the lowest
effective dose.
The need for ongoing

or long term treatment
should be reviewed
periodically, if no
significant response in
one week drugs should
be stopped.
Long term use of

NSAIDs should require
gastric mucosa
protection.
There is insufficient
evidence to recommend
bisphosphonates for
first line therapy for
pain management.
Treatment with
opioids

If pain is not controlled

with these combinations
go to Moderate
Pain re: initiation and
treatment with opioids.
Morphine starting dose is usually 5mg Q4h with

2.5-5mg Q1H prn for breakthrough pain. For
elderly or debilitated patients consider a starting
dose of 2.5mg Q4h.
Hydromorphone starting dose is 1mg Q4h with

0.5-1mg Q1h prn for breakthrough pain. For
elderly or debilitated patients consider a starting
dose of 0.5mg Q4h.
Oxycodone starting dose is 2.5mg or one

half tablet Q4H with 2.5mg or one half
table Q2H prn for breakthrough. (The lowest
dose oxycodone tablets available, either in
combination with acetaminophen or alone,
contain 5mg of oxycodone, equivalent to
~5-10mg of morphine).

If the person is taking an opioid:
As an immediate release preparation with q4h

dosing, increase the regular and breakthrough
doses by 25%.
As a sustained release opioid, increase this dose

by 25%. Change the breakthrough dose to 10%
of the regular 24h dose, wither q1-2h PRN PO or
q30 min PRN subcut.
Patients with stable pain and analgesic

usage, receiving oral morphine, oxycodone or
hydromorphone should have the drug converted
to a sustained or controlled release formulation
given q12h for ease of administration. The short
acting breakthrough dose is usually 10% of the
total daily dose.
The frequency of breakthrough doses for oral

opioids is Q1-2h prn. After conversion to a long
acting preparation, if pain is not well controlled,
reassess the patient and consider why multiple
breakthrough doses are being used and the
effectiveness of the breakthrough doses.
If indicated after proper assessment, the daily
dose can be titrated by adding 20 to 30% of the
breakthrough doses used in the preceding 24 hrs
to the daily sustained release formulation.
Make frequent assessments and adjustments
to the opioid dose until the pain is better
controlled.
SEVERE PAIN CRISIS

1. A severe pain crisis requires prompt use of analgesics, adjuvant therapies,
reassurance and a calm atmosphere.
2. Consider a consultation to palliative care or a cancer pain
specialist.
3. If IV access is present, and the person is opioid nave give stat morphine
5-10mg IV q10 min until pain is relieved; if the person is on opioids give
the po prn dose IV q10 min until pain is relieved. Monitor carefully.
APPENDICES
For mild to moderate

pain, weak opioids
such as codeine or
tramadol could be given
in combination with a
non-opioid analgesic.
If the person is opioid nave:
4. If no IV access available, and the person is opioid nave give stat

morphine 5-10mg subcut q20-30 min until pain is relieved; if the person
is on opioids give the po prn dose subcut q20-30 min until pain is relieved.
5. Titrate dose by 25% every 1-2 doses until pain is relieved.
6. When pain is controlled: If the patient is taking a sustained release
opioid increase this dose by 25% and change to q4h dosing po or subcut.
Do Not try to manage a severe pain crisis with a long-acting opioid.
Change the breakthrough dose to half of the regular dose, either q1h
PRN PO or q30 min PRN subcut.
Follow-up and Ongoing Monitoring

If pain remains unrelieved despite the approaches outlined above, request the assistance of a palliative care consultation team.
For full references and more information please refer to CCOs Symptom Management Guide-to-Practice: Pain document.
Disclaimer: Care has been taken by Cancer Care Ontarios Algorithm Development Group in the preparation of the information contained in this Algorithm.
Nonetheless, any person seeking to apply or consult the guidance for practice document is expected to use independent clinical judgement and skills in the context
of individual clinical circumstances or seek out the supervision of a qualified specialist clinician. CCO makes no representation or warranties of any kind
whatsoever regarding their content or use or application and disclaims any responsibility for their application or use in any way.
Note. These resources have been provided by Cancer Care Ontario (CCO) through the CCO website. Reprinted with permission.
87
Appendix H:
Example: Care Bundle for the Assessment and
Management of Pain in the Critically Ill Adult
PAIN
AGITATION
Assess pain 4x/shift & prn
Assess agitation, sedation 4x/shift & prn
Assess delirium Q shift & prn
Preferred pain assessment tools:
Preferred sedation assessment tools:
Preferred delirium assessment tools:

CAM-ICU (+ or -)
ICDSC (0 to 8)
Patient able to self-report NRS (0-10)
Unable to self-report BPS (3-12) or

CPOT (0-8)
NMB
Patient is in significant pain if NRS 4, BPS

> 5, or CPOT > 2
Treat pain within 30" then reassess:

Non-pharmacologic treatment
relaxation therapy
Pharmacologic treatment:
carbamazepine, + IV opioids
suggest using brain function monitoring
Delirium present if:
agitated if RASS = +1 to +4, or SAS = 5 to 7
awake and calm if RASS = 0, or SAS = 4
ICDSC
lightly sedated if RASS = -1 to -2, or SAS = 3
deeply sedated if RASS = -3 to -5, or SAS = 1 to 2
Targeted sedation or DSI (Goal: patient purposely

follows commands without agitation):
under sedated (RASS >0, SAS >4) assess/

treat pain treat w/sedatives prn (nonbenzodiazepines preferred, unless ETOH or
benzodiazepine withdrawal is suspected)
If
Treat pain as needed

Reorient patients; familiarize surroundings; use
patient's eyeglasses, hearing aids if needed
Pharmacologic treatment of delirium:
Avoid benzodiazepines unless ETOH or
benzodiazepine withdrawal is suspected
Avoid rivastigmine
Avoid antipsychotics if risk of Torsades de
over sedated (RASS <-2, SAS <3) hold

sedatives until at target, then start at 50% of
previous dose
thoracic epidural
If
S/p AAA repair, rib fractures
CAM-ICU is positive
RASS = -2 0, SAS = 3 4
+/- non-opioid analgesics
Neuropathic pain gabapentin or
RASS (-5 to +4) or SAS (1 to 7)
Depth of agitation, sedation defined as:
Non-neuropathic pain IV opioids
APPENDICES
DELIRIUM
pointes
Administer pro-procedural analgesia

and/or non-pharmacologic interventions
(e.g., relaxation therapy)
Consider daily SBT, early mobility and exercise

when patients are a t goal sedation level, unless
contraindicated
Identify delirium risk factors: dementia, HTN,

ETOH abuse, high severity of illness, coma,
benzodiazepine administration
Treat pain first, then sedate
EEG monitoring if:
at risk for seizures

burst suppression therapy is indicated for ICP
Avoid benzodiazepine use in those at first for

delirium
Mobilize and exercise patients early
Promote sleep (control light, noise; cluster patient

care activities; decrease nocturnal stimuli)
Restart baseline psychiatric meds, if indicated
Abbreviations in Care Bundle

AAA
Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
BPS
Behavioral Pain Scale
CAM-ICU Confusion Assessment Method
Intensive Care Unit
CPOT
Critical-Care Pain Observation Tool
ETOH Alcohol
ICDSC
HTN
NMB
NRS
RASS
SAS
Intensive Care Delirium Screening Checklist

Hypertension
Neuromuscular Blockers
Numerical Rating Scale
Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale
Sedation Agitation Scale
Note. From Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Management of Pain, Agitation, and Delirium in Adult Patients in the Intensive Care Unit, by J. Barr, G,
Fraser, K. Puntillo, E. Wesley Ely, C. Glinas, J. F. Dasta, et al., 2013, Critical Care Medicine, 41(1), 263-306. Copyright (2013) by Wolters Kluwer Health.
Reprinted with permission. Promotional and commercial use of the material in print, digital or mobile device format is prohibited without the permission
from the publisher Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Please contact [email protected] for further information.
88
Appendix I: Example: Validated Pain

Assessment Tools for Neonates
VALIDATED PAIN ASSESSMENT TOOLS FOR NEONATES
*Note: Screening tools for the presence/absence of pain but NOT pain intensity*
MEASURE
*Neonatal
Infant
Pain Scale
(NIPS)
INDICATORS/
COMPONENTS
Facial
expression, cry,
breathing
patterns, arms,
legs, state of
arousal
CONSIDERATIONS
Preterm
and term infants
Procedural
Operational
indicator is scored on a two-point (0,1) or three-point

(0,1,2) scale at one-minute intervals, before, during, and
following a procedure
Hard
of reliability and validity
to remember (limited feasibility for use)
Cannot
be used in intubated or paralyzed persons
Preterm
and term infants (28-40 weeks gestation)
Initially
developed for procedural pain, requires further

evaluation with very low birth weight neonates and with
non-acute and post-surgical pain populations
APPENDICES
Gestational
age,
behavioural
state, heart
rate and
oxygen
saturation,
brow bulge,
eye squeeze,
and nasolabial
furrow
definitions for indicators are provided
Each
Evidence
*Premature
Infant
Pain
Profile
(PIPP)
pain measure
Includes
contextual indicators (gestational age and

behavioural state)
Each
indicator is evaluated on a four-point scale (0,1,2,3) for

a possible total score of 18 21 based on the gestational age
of the infant;
Total
score of 6 or less generally indicates minimal or no pain,

while scores greater than 12 indicate moderate to severe pain
Most
rigorously evaluated tool; evidence of reliability, validity

and ability to detect change Further research required to
establish feasibility and clinical utility
Pain
assessments take 1 minute (early evidence of good

clinical feasibility)
A
revised version of the PIPP is currently undergoing testing that

includes changes to scoring of individual items and total score
(Duhn & Medves, 2004; Lawrence et al., 1993; Stevens, Johnston, Petryshen, & Taddio, 1996; Stevens, Johnston, Taddio, Gibbins, & Yamada, 2010)
89
Appendix J: Example: Validated Behavioural

Pain Assessment Tools for Children
VALIDATED BEHAVIORAL PAIN ASSESSMENT TOOLS FOR CHILDREN
MEASURE
*Revised
FLACC
(r-FLACC)
INDICATORS/
COMPONENTS
Facial
expression, leg
movement,
activity, cry and
consolability
CONSIDERATIONS
Initially
developed as FLACC and intended for use in

children aged 2 months to 8 years but has been used in
children aged 0-18 years
Later
amended to r-FLACC, to include pain behaviours

common to persons with cognitive impairments has been
used in cognitively impaired children aged 4-21 years
Validated
for procedural and postoperative pain
Each
category is scored on a 0-2 scale, which results in a

total score between 0 and 10
Well
established evidence of reliability and validity;

however inconsistent ability to detect change
demonstrated with FLACC
Simple
APPENDICES
High
to use, score and interpret.
feasibility
Cannot
be used in paralyzed persons. Some preliminary

data suggests it may be useful with persons who are
ventilated Important to note that consolability requires
(a) an attempt to console, and (b) a subjective rating of
response to that intervention, which complicates the
scoring
(Malviya, Voepel-Lewis, Burke, Merkel, & Tait, 2006; Merkel, Voepel-Lewis, Shayevitz, & Malviya, 1997; von Baeyer & Spagrud, 2007; von Baeyer & Spagrud;
Voepel-Lewis et al., 2008; van Herk, van Dijk, Baar, Tibboel, & de Wit, 2007; Voepel-Lewis, Zanotti, Dammeyer, & Merkel, 2010)
90
VALIDATED BEHAVIORAL PAIN ASSESSMENT TOOLS FOR CHILDREN ...cont

MEASURE
*Noncommunicating
Childrens
Pain Checklist
Revised
(NCCPC-R))
INDICATORS/
COMPONENTS
Vocal, Social,
Facial
expressions,
activity, body
and limbs,
physiological
and Eating/
Sleeping
CONSIDERATIONS
Designed
for children aged 3-18 years who are unable to

speak due to cognitive impairments or disabilities.
Designed
to be used without training, but parents and

caregivers.
Intended
for use in any setting.
Completion
of the score is based on a 2-hour n observation

period of the child.
For
post-operative pain the Non-communicating

Childrens Pain Checklist Postoperative Version should be
used.
(Breau, McGrath, Camfield, & Finley, 2002)
APPENDICES
91
Appendix K: Example: Validated Behavioural

Pain Assessment Tool for Adults
OBSERVATIONAL BEHAVIOURAL TOOLS
MEASURE
APPENDICES
*Checklist of
non-verbal
indicators
INDICATORS/
COMPONENTS
Six behaviours that are
scored at rest and on
activity including: verbal
complaints (non-verbal:
moans, groans, cries,
gasps); facial grimaces/
winces (furrowed brow,
clenched teeth); bracing
(clutching or holding
onto side rails, bed, or
affected area during
movement); restlessness
(shifting of position
[constant or
intermittent], inability
to keep still); rubbing
(massaging affected
area); vocal complaints
(words expressing
discomfort or pain
that hurts, ouch,
cursing during
movement, etc.).
(Feldt, 2000)
92
CONSIDERATIONS
Designed
to evaluate pain behaviours in

cognitively impaired adults post-operatively
The
presence of a pain indicator is scored as 1,

while the absence of the indicator is scored as 0
There
is no specific cut-off score to indicate pain

severity; however the presence of any of the
behavioural indicators may be indicative of pain,
and requires further assessment, intervention
and monitoring by the clinician.
Website:

http://www.healthcare.uiowa.edu/igec/tools/
pain/nonverbalPain.pdf or

http://ltctoolkit.rnao-dev.org/resources/
assessment-tools/pain-checklist-nonverbal-painindicators-cnpi
Appendix L: Example:
Validated Behavioural Pain Assessment Tools
for Non-Verbal Critically Ill Adults
SELECTED VALIDATED BEHAVIOURAL PAIN ASSESSMENT TOOLS
FOR USE IN NONVERBAL CRITICALLY ILL ADULTS
MEASURE
*Behavioural
Pain Scale
(BPS)
INDICATORS/
COMPONENTS
Facial
expression,
upper limbs,
compliance
with ventilator
Each item
scored from
1 to 4
Total score
from 3 to 12
CONSIDERATIONS
Detection
of pain with procedures or pharmacologic pain

management
Used
with sedated, mechanically ventilated critically ill

adults in medical, surgical, and trauma intensive care units
Note: Brain-injured persons are not well represented in
current study
Evidence
of interrater reliability and validity, improved

pain practices (increased in frequency of pain assessments,
analgesics and person outcomes after tool use (shorter
duration of mechanical ventilation)
Feasible
and easy to use; completion requires

2 to 5 minutes
APPENDICES
Cut-off
score >5 for the presence of pain established

by authors
Available
Practical
in French, English, and Chinese
guide available in Chanques et al. (2006)
An
alternate version is available for non-intubated ICU

patients known as the BPS-NI (Chanques et al., 2009)
Disadvantages:
Cut-off score not established with gold

standard of pain; difficult to comment on its ability to
detect different levels of pain; some items are confusing
(upper limbs refer to position and muscle tension, scoring
of compliance with ventilator); BPS content may not be
applicable to brain-injured ICU persons as this group was
under-represented in studies
93
SELECTED VALIDATED BEHAVIOURAL PAIN ASSESSMENT TOOLS ...cont

FOR USE IN NONVERBAL CRITICALLY ILL ADULTS
MEASURE
*Critical-Care
Pain
Observation
Tool (CPOT)
INDICATORS/
COMPONENTS
Facial
expression,
body
movements,
compliance
with ventilator
(intubated
persons),
vocalization
(non-intubated
persons),
muscle tension
Each item
scored from
0 to 2
Total score
from 0 to 8
CONSIDERATIONS
Detection
of pain, procedural pain, evaluation of

pharmacologic interventions for pain management
Used
with critically ill adults unable to self-report,

mechanically ventilated or not in medical, surgical, and
trauma intensive care units

Note:
Less applicable in brain-injured persons especially

those with an altered level of consciousness (LOC) or coma;
current research is adapting its content for this group
Evidence
of interrater reliability and validity; improved

pain practices (increased in frequency of pain assessments,
better use of analgesics and sedatives) and outcomes after
tool use (fewer complications)
Feasible
and easy to use; completion within one minute

when the person is at rest
Cut-off
score >2 for the presence of pain established with

gold standard of pain(Glinas et al., 2009)
Available
in French, English, Italian, Spanish, and Swedish
Directions
for use available in Glinas (2010)
teaching video available online at http://pointers.

audiovideoweb.com/stcasx/il83win10115/CPOT2011-WMV.
wmv/play.asx
APPENDICES
Free
Disadvantages:
Inability to detect mild pain; cut-off score

may vary from 2 to 3 between ICU groups (Glinas &
Johnston, 2009); CPOT needs revision to become applicable
to brain-injured ICU persons with altered LOC
The Checklist
of Nonverbal
Pain Indicators
(CNPI)
Designed
to observe and measure pain behaviours in acute

care post operative settings
Used
in cognitively impaired elders
Items
in scale are conceptually sound
No
recommendations for a cut-off score
Well
established evidence of interrater reliability and

validity for use with elders with cognitive impairment after
hip surgery
(Chanques et al, 2009; Feldt, 2000; Glinas, Fillion, Puntillo, Viens, & Fortier, 2006; Gelinas, Harel, Fillion, Puntillo, & Johnston, 2009; Glinas & Johnston,
2009; Payen et al., 2001)
94
Appendix M: Pain Assessment Tools for Elders

with Cognitive Impairment
PAIN ASSESSMENT IN ELDERS WITH COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT
MEASURE
CHARACTERISTICS
CONSIDERATIONS
Pain
Assessment
in Advanced
Dementia
(PAINAD)
Scale.
Observational
For
behavioural
tool of 5 items: breathing,
facial expression, body
language, negative
vocalizations and consolability
Each
item rated on a scale

of 0-2 for a total score from
0 (no pain) to 10 (severe
pain); score 1 or 2 indicates
some pain
Feasible
in clinical setting can be completed

in 1-3 min.
Clear
Tool
online at http://www.mhpcn.ca/
uploads/PAINAD.1276125778.pdf
DOLOPLUS 2
scale
Observations
For
Items
User
of somatic,
psychomotor and
psychosocial behaviours
scored on scale of 0-3,
total score range from 0 30
Score
of 5 or more indicates
pain, maximum score 30
Available
60-item
in each category are

rated present or absent, for
a total score of 60
can be used for screening and follow-up
Evidence
Pain
Assessment
Checklist for
Seniors with
Limited
Ability to
Communicate
(PACSLAC)
Items
and concise concepts, user-friendly
Feasible
in clinical setting can be completed
in 5 min
Helpful
to consolidate training and nursing

documentation
Evidence
APPENDICES
tool assessing
4 categories: facial
expressions, activity/body
movements, social and
personality changes and
other (appetite or sleeping
changes)
use with people having advanced dementia
Available
online at http://www.geriatricpain.
org/Content/Assessment/Impaired/Pages/
PACSLAC.aspx
use with people having mild or moderate

cognitive impairment and with proxy rating
when a person is unable to self-report
friendly takes minutes to complete
Validation
done in non-English speaking
people
Available
online at http://www.
assessmentscales.com/scales/doloplus
(Fuchs-Lacelle & Hadistavropolous, 2004; Hadistavropolous et al., 2006; Herr et al., 2011; Lefebvre-Chapiro & the DOLOPLUS Group, 2001; Schofield et al., 2008)
95
Appendix N: Strategies Recommended for

Infant and Children Pain (Acute) Management
STRATEGIES RECOMMENDED FOR INFANT AND CHILDREN PAIN (ACUTE) MANAGEMENT
LEGEND: = recommended
! = use with caution ? = effect unknown N/A = not applicable
Pain in Infants
TYPE OF PAIN
MANAGEMENT
NonPharmacological
(Physical/
Psychological)
APPENDICES
Pharmacological
96
THERAPY
MINOR
PROCEDURES
SURGICAL
Breastfeeding
N/A
Skin-to-skin care
Pacifier Sucking
Swaddling
COMMENTS
LEVEL OF
EVIDENCE
Newborn 12
months
Ia
Most evidence for

preterm infants
Ia
Most effective when

combined with sweet
solutions
Ia
Less effective than

sucrose
Ia
Positioning
Ib
Music
Ia
Sucrose
Insufficient on
its own for minor
surgery (e.g.,
circumcision). Use
in conjunction with
other recommended
interventions
Ia
Opioids
Conflicting evidence
of background opioid
infusions for acute
minor procedural
pain
Ib
NSAIDS
IV
Acetaminophen
IV
Topical
Anesthetics
N/A
Less effective than

sucrose for infants
Ia
STRATEGIES RECOMMENDED FOR INFANT AND CHILDREN PAIN (ACUTE) MANAGEMENT ...cont
LEGEND: = recommended
! = use with caution ? = effect unknown N/A = not applicable
Pain in Children
TYPE OF PAIN
MANAGEMENT
NonPharmacological
(Physical/
Psychological)
MINOR
PROCEDURES
SURGICAL
For procedural pain

combined with
distraction for younger
children (e.g., blowing
bubbles, pinwheels)
Ia
Nurse-led distraction
N/A
Reduces self-reported
pain
Ia
Child-led distraction
N/A
pain
Ia
THERAPY
Deep breathing
Parent-led distraction
COMMENTS
LEVEL OF
EVIDENCE
N/A
N/A
Tolerated better in
children over 3, mixed
effectiveness for IV
cannulation
Variable
Information/
preparation
Effective in reducing
observer-reported
pain and heart rate in
children
Ia
Hypnosis
N/A
pain/distress and
behavioural distress
Ia
Combined cognitivebehavioural
interventions
N/A
Reduces observerreported distress and

behavioural distress
Ia
Needleless injection
device (e.g., J-tip) for
delivery of lidocaine
Ideal when rapid local

anesthesia is desired
Ia
APPENDICES
Vapocoolants
*NB Most evidence relates to needle related pain
97
STRATEGIES RECOMMENDED FOR INFANT AND CHILDREN PAIN (ACUTE) MANAGEMENT ...cont
LEGEND:
= recommended
= use with caution
= effect unknown N/A = not applicable
Pain in Children
TYPE OF PAIN
MANAGEMENT
THERAPY
Pharmacological
Opioids
MINOR
PROCEDURES
SURGICAL
COMMENTS
Effective PCA
prescriptions may
include a low-dose
background infusion
LEVEL OF
EVIDENCE
IIa & IIb
IM injections are
distressing and less
effective than IV
infusions
Intranasal or oral
administration of
opioids may effective
in the ED setting
Decrease opioid
requirement after
surgery
IIa
Acetaminophen
Decrease opioid
requirement after surgery
IIa
Topical Anesthetics
N/A
Effective for laceration

repair, wound
management
IIa
APPENDICES
NSAIDS
Amethocaine more
effective than EMLA
Most effective for
children older than
3 years
Vapocoolant spray
N/A
Anticonvulsants
N/A
IV
Antidepressants
N/A
IV
For IV cannulation in
children between 6 and
12 years
Ib
(Cignaccio, et al., 2007; Chambers, Taddio, Uman, McMurtry, & Team (2009); Harrison, Bueno, Yamada, Adams-Webber, & Stevens, 2010; Harrison et al.,
2010; Hatfield, Chang, Bittle, Deluca, & Polomano, 2011; Lander, Weltman, & So, 2006; Leef, 2006; Nilsson, 2008; Obeidat, Kahalaf, Callister, & Froelicher, 2009;
Pillai-Riddell et al., 2011; Spence et al., 2010; Shah, Taddio, & Rieder, 2009; Stevens, Yamada, & Ohlsson, 2010; Stinson, Yamada, Dickson, Lamba, & Stevens,2008;
Taddio et al., 2009)
Developed by RNAO Expert Panel
98
Appendix O: Pasero Opioid-Induced Sedation

Scale (POSS) with Interventions*
S = Sleep, easy to arouse
Acceptable; no action necessary; may increase opioid dose if needed
1 = Awake and alert
2 = Slightly drowsy, easily aroused
3 = Frequently drowsy, arousable, drifts off to sleep during conversation
Unacceptable; monitor respiratory status and sedation level closely until sedation level is stable at less than 3 and
respiratory status is satisfactory; decrease opioid dose 25% to 50%1 or notify prescriber2 or anesthesiologist for
orders; consider administering a non-sedating, opioid-sparing nonopioid, such as acetaminophen or an NSAID,
if not contraindicated.
4 = Somnolent, minimal or no response to verbal or physical stimulation
Unacceptable; stop opioid; consider administering naloxone3,4; notify prescriber2 or anesthesiologist; monitor
respiratory status and sedation level closely until sedation level is stable at less than 3 and respiratory status is
satisfactory.
*Appropriate action is given in italics at each level of sedation.
1 Opioid analgesic orders or a hospital protocol should include the expectation that a nurse will decrease the opioid dose if a patient is excessively sedated.
2 For example, the physician, nurse practitioner, advanced practice nurse, or physician assistant responsible for the pain management prescription.
APPENDICES
3 Mix 0.4 mg of naloxone and 10 mL of normal saline in syringe and administer this dilute solution very slowly (0.5 mL over two minutes) while observing the
patients response (titrate to effect) (Source: Pasero, C., Quinn, T.E., Portenoy, R.K., McCaffery, M. & Rizos A. Opioid analgesics. In: Pain Assessment and
Pharmacologic Management, p.510. St. Louis, MO: Mosby/Elsevier; 2011; American Pain Society (APS). Principles of Analgesic Use in the Treatment of Acute
Pain and Chronic Cancer Pain. 6th ed. Glenview, IL: APS; 2008.)
4 Hospital protocols should include the expectation that a nurse will administer naloxone to any patient suspected of having life threatening opioid-induced
sedation and respiratory depression.
Note. From Pain Assessment and Pharmacologic Management, by C. Pasero and M. McCaffery, 2011, St. Louis, MO: Mosby/Elsevier. Copyright (1994) by Chris
Pasero. Used with permission.
99
Appendix P: Description of the Toolkit

Best practice guidelines can only be successfully implemented if planning, resources, organizational and
administrative supports are adequate and there is appropriate facilitation. In this light, the Registered Nurses
Association of Ontario, through a panel of nurses, researchers and administrators, has developed the Toolkit:
Implementation of Best Practice Guidelines (2nd ed.) (2012b). The Toolkit is based on available evidence, theoretical
perspectives and consensus. We recommend the Toolkit for guiding the implementation of any clinical practice
guideline in a health-care organization.
The Toolkit provides step-by-step directions to individuals and groups involved in planning, coordinating and
facilitating the guideline implementation. These steps reflect a process that is dynamic and iterative rather than linear.
Therefore, at each phase preparation for the next phases and reflection on the previous phase is essential. Specifically,
the Toolkit addresses the following key steps, as illustrated in the Knowledge to Action framework (RNAO, 2012b; Straus et
al., 2009) in implementing a guideline:
1. Identify problem: identify, review, select knowledge (Best Practice Guideline).
2. Adapt knowledge to local context:

Assess barriers and facilitators to knowledge use; and

Identify resources.
3. Select, tailor and implement interventions.

4. Monitor knowledge use.
5. Evaluate outcomes.
6. Sustain knowledge use.
APPENDICES
Implementing guidelines in practice that result in successful practice changes and positive clinical impact is a
complex undertaking. The Toolkit is one key resource for managing this process. The Toolkit can be downloaded
at http://rnao.ca/bpg.
100
Endorsement
ENDORSEMENTS
101
Clinical Best
Practice Guidelines
DECEMBER 2013

Third Edition
ISBN 978-1-926944-57-9

Assessment Management of Pain

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Assessment Management of Pain

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Assessment Management of Pain

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Clinical Best

Assessment and Management of Pain

Assessment and Management of Pain

Assessment and Management of Pain, Third Edition

Greetings from Doris Grinspun,

Doris Grinspun, RN, MSN, PhD, LLD (Hon), O. ONT.

Assessment and Management of Pain, Third Edition

RNAO Expert Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

RNAO Best Practice Guideline Program Team . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Organization and Policy Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Process for Update and Review of the Guideline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

BEST PRACTICE GUIDELINES

Assessment and Management of Pain, Third Edition

Appendix A: Glossary of Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

Appendix P: Description of the Toolkit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

International Association for the Study of Pain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

Assessment and Management of Pain, Third Edition

How to Use this Document

BEST PRACTICE GUIDELINES

Assessment and Management of Pain, Third Edition

Purpose and Scope

Assessment and Management of Pain, Third Edition

Screen for the presence, or risk of, any type of pain:

admission or visit with a health-care professional;

a change in medical status; and

to, during and after a procedure.

BEST PRACTICE GUIDELINES

Assessment and Management of Pain, Third Edition

Collaborate with the person to identify their goals for pain

The persons beliefs and knowledge and level of understanding; and

The persons attributesG and pain characteristics.

Multimodal analgesic approach;

Changing of opioids (dose or routes) when necessary;

Prevention, assessment and management of adverse effects during

Prevention, assessment and management of opioid risk.

Assessment and Management of Pain, Third Edition

Reassess the persons response to the pain management interventions

Stability of the persons medical condition;

Type of pain e.g. acute versus persistent; and

Educational institutions should incorporate this guideline, Assessment

BEST PRACTICE GUIDELINES

Assessment and Management of Pain, Third Edition

EDUCATION RECOMMENDATIONSG ...cont

Health-care professionals should participate in continuing education

ORGANIZATION AND POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS

Establish pain assessment and management as a strategic clinical priority.

Assessment and Management of Pain, Third Edition

Evidence obtained from meta-analysis or systematic reviews of randomized controlled trialsG.

Evidence obtained from at least one randomized controlled trial.

Evidence obtained from well-designed non-experimental descriptive studies, such as

BEST PRACTICE GUIDELINES

Assessment and Management of Pain, Third Edition

Registered Nurses Association of Ontario

Cline Glinas, RN, PhD

Denise Harrison, RN, PhD

Nicholas Joachimides, RN, BScN, CRN(c), MCISC

Janette Byrne, RN, BScN, CHPCN(C)

Palliative Pain and Symptom Management,

Marg Cutrara, RN, MSN

Darlene Davis, RN, MN