Unresolved pain in children: A relational ethics perspective

It is considered the right of children to have their pain managed effectively. Yet, despite extensive research findings, policy guidelines and practice standard recommendations for the optimal management of paediatric pain, clinical practices remain inadequate. Empirical evidence definitively shows...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inNursing ethics Vol. 17; no. 6; pp. 695 - 704
Main Authors Olmstead, Deborah L, Scott, Shannon D, Austin, Wendy J
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published London, England SAGE Publications 01.11.2010
SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
Subjects
Attitude of Health Personnel
Child
Child Advocacy - ethics
Children
Clinical Competence
Clinical guidelines
Ethical Relativism
Evidence-Based Practice - education
Evidence-Based Practice - ethics
Guideline Adherence - ethics
Guideline Adherence - organization & administration
Health Services Needs and Demand - ethics
Humans
Medical ethics
Moral Obligations
Nurse's Role - psychology
Nurse-Patient Relations - ethics
Nurses
Nursing
Nursing Assessment - ethics
Nursing care
Pain
Pain - diagnosis
Pain - nursing
Pain - prevention & control
Pain - psychology
Pain management
Pain Measurement - ethics
Pain Measurement - nursing
Pediatric nursing
Pediatric Nursing - education
Pediatric Nursing - ethics
Pediatric Nursing - organization & administration
Practice Guidelines as Topic
Relational ethics
Suffering
Translational Medical Research - ethics
Treatment Failure
professional ethics
children
knowledge translation
undermanaged pain
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Summary:It is considered the right of children to have their pain managed effectively. Yet, despite extensive research findings, policy guidelines and practice standard recommendations for the optimal management of paediatric pain, clinical practices remain inadequate. Empirical evidence definitively shows that unrelieved pain in children has only harmful consequences, with no benefits. Contributing factors identified in this undermanaged pain include the significant role of nurses. Nursing attitudes and beliefs about children’s pain experiences, the relationships nurses share with children who are suffering, and knowledge deficits in pain management practices are all shown to impact unresolved pain in children. In this article, a relational ethics perspective is used to explore the need for nurses to engage in authentic relationships with children who are experiencing pain, and to use evidence-based practices to manage that pain in order for this indefensible suffering of children to end.
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ISSN:0969-7330
1477-0989
DOI:10.1177/0969733010378932