Pain Control

Pain is often referred to as a vital sign. Pain assessment and management are key activities of surgical nurses. Nurses, especially thoseworkingwith children, are acutely aware of the impact of pain on normal everyday function as well as on recovery andmental health. Yet, control of pediatric pain often remains inadequate despite readily available pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic interventions. Therefore, it is essential for surgical nurses, in conjunction with physicians, to plan for pain control before discharge and determine what teaching needs to be done related to pain as the family prepares to take their child home. For most children and youth, recovery time at home is short, and theywill quickly return to the school setting. Who communicates with the school nurse regarding continuing pain control measures? Consider the following scenarios: