Pain Assessment and Management for a Chemically Paralyzed Child Receiving Mechanical Ventilation

Activity Summary

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.

Objectives

Describe pediatric intensive care unit nurse's pain assessment practices for a child who is mechanically ventilated and chemically paralyzed.
Discuss implications for clinical practice and research for pain assessment in children who are chemically paralyzed.
Discuss implications for clinical practice and research for pain assessment in children who are chemically paralyzed.

Continuing Education Disclosure Statement

Successful Completion

Learners must attend/view/read the entire activity, read Implicit Bias impacts patient outcomes, and complete the associated evaluation to be awarded the contact hours or CERP. No partial credit will be awarded.

Accreditation

The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation.

Provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider number CEP 1036, for 1.00 contact hours.

Accreditation refers to recognition of continuing education only and does not imply AACN, ANCC, or CBRN approval or endorsement of any commercial products discussed or displayed in conjunction with this educational activity.

Disclosure

Any relevant relationship between an ineligible company and an individual with the ability to influence clinical content will be identified by the Nurse Planner within the activity. Any relevant relationship between an ineligible company and an individual with the ability to influence clinical content has been mitigated.

AACN programming meets the standards for most states that require mandatory continuing education contact hours for license and/or certification renewal. AACN recommends consulting with your state board of nursing or credentialing organization before submitting CE to fulfill continuing education requirements.

Refund Policy

Continuing Education Activities are nonrefundable.