Article A2352
Author(s): Elyse L. Laures, PhD, RN, Cynthia M. LaFond, PhD, RN, CCRN-K, Barbara St. Marie, PhD, AGPCNP, and Ann Marie McCarthy, PhD, RN
Contact Hours 1.00
CERP A 1.00
Expires Sep 01, 2026
Topics: Pain Management
Population: Pediatric
Required reading for all learners: Implicit Bias impacts patient outcomes
Children in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) are particularly vulnerable to the experience of pain from underlying disease or trauma and procedures. During a 24-hour prevalence study across 15 PICUs, 45% of children experienced pain and 86% experienced painful procedures (median, 7 procedures). Mismanaged pain can cause adverse biopsychosocial effects, including decreased immune functions, increased cardiac workload, disturbed sleep, anticipatory stress, and posttraumatic stress symptoms that may result in delayed healing and discharge. Pain assessment in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) is complex, specifically for children receiving mechanical ventilation who require neuromuscular blockade (NMB). No valid pain assessment method exists for this population. Guidelines are limited to using physiologic variables; it remains unknown how nurses are assessing and managing pain for this population in practice.Learners must complete the entire activity and the associated evaluation AND read Implicit Bias impacts patient outcomes. No partial credit will be awarded.
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