Introduction
The journal article addresses the challenges experienced by nurses while assessing pain in pediatric patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). The reason is that medical specialists know self-reporting as the most reliable form of pain assessment. The journal documents a study that was carried out on registered nurses employed at separate pediatric neurosurgery establishments to find out their perception of pain among the pediatric population diagnosed with TBI. The objectives of the study were to find out whether the assessment of pain in the population is done accurately, whether the pain is adequately treated and the obstacles that exist in assessing and treating the pain in children (McCaa, 2017).
The journal article is important in the nursing practice as it aids in the accurate assessment and treatment of pain in the pediatric population. Due to the varying cognitive development and communication skills among children, self-reporting of pain can be inaccurate; pain assessment becomes more challenging for nurses where TBI has occurred. In cases where self-reporting and usual pain indicators are lacking, nurses and practitioners are driven to rely on medical expertise and judgment, leading to inconsistencies and ineffective pain management (McCaa, 2017). The journal targets nurses as the primary caregivers especially to children diagnosed with TBI; it further provides for improved pain management and care given to pediatric patients with brain injuries.
Nurses should implement objectivity and extra care while delivering their diagnosis to pediatric patients especially those whose self-reports are not reliable to avoid inadequate or ineffective treatment of pain. Nurses should, therefore, proceed with treatment having knowledge of the patients’ inability to self-report hence opening up a chance for inaccurate diagnosis and the consequent ineffective treatment.
Reference
McCaa, R. (2017). Nurse perceptions of pain in pediatric traumatic brain injury: a pilot study. Pediatric Nursing, 43(2), 92.
