There is a dilemma in providing comfort. Because bureacratic policies limit staff, the time that staff spend with patients is confined to the basic needs of treatment, medications and physical care.The quality of physical care suffers when the paraprofessional is discouraged from taking time to fulfil comfort needs such as a back rub or discussing patient’s concerns. If the caregiver can spend a little time to talk with the older person after a bath or treatment, anxiety , pain, discomfort and depression can be reduced. The nurse is in a very influential position to make a meaningful contribution to pain relief.
The ability to assess pain of another becomes complicated because of differing attitudes and the multidimensional aspects that pain projects. There are no easy answers of how to evaluate, differentiate or judge the uniquely personal estimates of the quality of pain. Pain experiences are highly individualised.
chronic pain presents a frustrating situation for the nurse and an intolerable situation for the patient. Nurses tend to undermedicate for chronic pain because they fear that they will foster addiction. Often nurses caring for the patients with chronic pain in the long term care situations become so familiar with the pain that they ignore it as a means of protecting themselves from feeling overwhelmed and powerless with what seems an insurmontable and futile situation. Frequently the patients with chronically painful conditions are told “to just learn to live with it.” To the individual with chronic pains that is a dismissal and implies a withdrawal of interest and concern.
Let’s be more alert and understand that chronic pain is longsuffering and intolerable so we need to provide even more care and concern to ensure comfort and pain free.