Unit 4 - What the experts say

At the end of this session you will be able to:

1. Identify some key quotes that inspire you to develop your own practice.

“What the experts say about pain and fever”

• “the child (and the parents) should be the focus; not the thermometer.” (Watts et al. 2003, p58) 

• “…clinical decisions  regarding temperature measurement must be evaluated against data on accuracy, specificity, and reliability; while always considering the preferences of parents and their children and the nursing staff caring for them”  (Jackson Barton et al., 2003, p320).

• “In order for us to start to understand their pain we need to be prepared to be hurt by it. Adopting a narrative approach to practice and being in-relation, means to risk something of ourselves. It means we need to be prepared to nurse children with our hearts, our minds, our selves as well as with all the tools and technological wizardry that are available” (Carter, 2004, p214).

• “Optimal pain assessment observes and quantifies the patient’s pain status and related experiences over time, documents the efficacy of interventions, and provides the foundation for effective pain management” (Treadwell et al., 2002, p39)

• “…the management of children’s pain must become more aggressive” (Cummings et al., 1996, p30)