Personal Reflection: Non-Pharmacology And Pain Management In Patients

These past few months of working on the Acute Medicine floor have allowed me to care for many patients, each with varying diagnoses, and thus reflect upon every interaction and the care I was providing. One particular interaction that stuck out to me involved a female patient who was experiencing a recent bout of severe arm pain related to an intravenous device going interstitial. This woman and my experience with helping to manage her pain will be highlighted in this reflection and for confidentiality purposes, she will be referred to as Anna. Upon meeting Anna, I immediately noticed that she was in a great deal of discomfort, which she stated to be as a result of the severe pain in her right lower arm. I assessed her arm and observed that it was quite red and swollen; I also took note that her …show more content…
From this, I was able to think of how I can apply what I have learned in my future practice. In regards to pain management, I must ensure that I provide a variety of pharmacological and non-pharmacological options to my patients when working with them to control their pain. Although the pharmacological options will depend upon what has been ordered by a patient’s physician, the non-pharmacological options will include all of that which has been stated above, plus more. Additionally, if I find that I am at a point where I cannot think of any pain management options for a particular patient, I must be sure to consult with my fellow nurses and gather their options regarding how I could effectively manage this pain. Working with Anna and the associated reflection process has allowed me to further my knowledge of pain management and I believe that I can and must bring forth what I have learned into my future practice. Hence, this will allow me to better my pain managing abilities and become a more valuable caretaker of my patients and their