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Acute Pain Nursing Care Plan and Management

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By Gil Wayne BSN, R.N.

Feeling the sharp, stabbing pain of an acute injury or illness is a sensation that no one wants to experience. As nurses, it’s our job to help ease the suffering of our patients and provide the best possible care for those in pain. Creating a comprehensive care plan for acute pain nursing diagnosis can help relieve our patients’ discomfort and get them on the road to recovery. Whether it’s administering medication, providing emotional support, or teaching patients about pain management techniques, this care plan guide will help you utilize those tools on how to manage acute pain

Let’s take a closer look at how we can effectively care for patients experiencing acute pain. Use this guide to formulate your nursing care plans and nursing interventions for patients experiencing acute pain.

Table of Contents

What is acute pain?

The International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) defined pain as “an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage.” Another great and influential definition of pain is from Margo McCaffery, a nurse expert on pain, who defined it as “pain is whatever the person says it is and exists whenever the person says it does.” The unpleasant feeling of pain is highly subjective in nature that may be experienced by the patient.

“Pain is whatever the person says it is and exists whenever the person says it does.”

Margo McCaffery – Pain Management Nurse Pioneer

Acute pain is pain, as defined above, that has a duration of less than 3 months and relief can be anticipated or predicted. In contrast, chronic pain is has a duration of more than 3 months without an anticipated or predictable end. The physiological signs of acute pain emerge from the body’s response to pain as a stressor. Acute pain provides a protective purpose to make the person informed and knowledgeable about the presence of an injury or illness. The unexpected onset of acute pain reminds the patient to seek support, assistance, and relief.

Other factors such as the patient’s cultural background, emotions, and psychological or spiritual discomfort may contribute to acute pain. In older patients, assessment of pain can be challenging due to cognitive impairment and sensory-perceptual deficits. Assessment and management of the nursing diagnosis of acute pain are the main focus of this care plan.

Causes of pain

Here are the common causes of pain:

  • Tissue damage or break in tissue integrity such as in surgery, injury, fractures, and other conditions that breakdown or damage the body’s tissues.
  • Inflammation is a normal immune response to injury or infection can also cause pain.
  • Nerve damage or irritation that is commonly caused by sciatica, herniated disc, or infections such as shingles (postherpetic neuralgia)
  • Psychological conditions such as stress, depression, anxiety can all contribute to pain.

Signs and symptoms

The following are the common manifestations that defines the characteristics of acute pain. Use these subjective and objective data to help guide you through the nursing assessment. Alternatively, you can check out the assessment guide for acute pain in the subsequent sections.

  • The most common characteristic of acute pain is when the patient reports or complaints about it. It is also the most common chief complaint that brings patients to their health care providers.
    • Self-report of intensity using standardized pain intensity scales (e.g., Wong-Baker FACES scale, visual analog scale, numeric rating scale)
    • Self-report of pain characteristics (e.g., aching, burning, electric shock, pins, and needles, shooting, sore/tender, stabbing, throbbing) using standardized pain scales (e.g., McGill Pain Questionnaire, Brief Pain Inventory)
  • Other signs of pain include:
    • Guarding behavior or protecting the body part
    • Facial mask of pain (e.g., grimaces)
    • Expression of pain (e.g., restlessness, crying, moaning)
  • Autonomic response to pain:
    • Profuse sweating
    • Alteration in BP, HR, RR
    • Dilation of the pupils
  • Proxy reporting pain and behavior/activity changes (e.g., family members, caregivers)

Goals and outcomes

The following are the common nursing care planning goals and expected outcomes for Acute Pain:

  • Patient demonstrates the use of appropriate diversional activities and relaxation skills.
  • Patient describes satisfactory pain control at a level (for example, less than 3 to 4 on a rating scale of 0 to 10)
  • Patient displays improved well-being such as baseline levels for pulse, BP, respirations, and relaxed muscle tone or body posture.
  • Patient uses pharmacological and nonpharmacological pain-relief strategies.
  • Patient displays improvement in mood, coping.

Nursing Diagnosis

Following a thorough assessment, a nursing diagnosis is formulated to specifically address the challenges associated with acute pain based on the nurse’s clinical judgement and understanding of the patient’s unique health condition. While nursing diagnoses serve as a framework for organizing care, their usefulness may vary in different clinical situations. In real-life clinical settings, it is important to note that the use of specific nursing diagnostic labels may not be as prominent or commonly utilized as other components of the care plan. It is ultimately the nurse’s clinical expertise and judgment that shape the care plan to meet the unique needs of each patient, prioritizing their health concerns and priorities. However, if you still find value in utilizing nursing diagnosis labels, here are some examples to consider:

  • Acute Pain related to tissue injury from surgical incision AEB patient reporting a pain level of 8 on a 1-10 scale, facial grimacing, and guarding the surgical site.
  • Acute Pain related to inflammation and swelling secondary to sprained ankle AEB patient’s verbal report of pain, observed limping, and inability to bear weight on the affected leg.
  • Acute Pain related to musculoskeletal injury (e.g., fracture, sprain) as evidenced by patient describing pain as sharp or throbbing, limited range of motion, and swelling at the injury site.
  • Acute Pain related to inflammation (e.g., appendicitis, pancreatitis) as evidenced by patient reporting localized abdominal pain, pain intensity increasing with movement, and presence of nausea or vomiting.
  • Acute Pain related to mucosal irritation and inflammation in the urinary tract (e.g., urinary tract infection) as evidenced by patient reporting burning sensation during urination, frequent need to urinate, and abdominal discomfort.
  • Acute Pain related to cervical dilation and uterine contractions during labor as evidenced by patient reporting contraction pains, expressing distress during contractions, and utilizing pain relief techniques.

Diseases, medical conditions, and related nursing care plans for Acute Pain nursing diagnosis:

Nursing assessment and rationales

Proper nursing assessment of acute pain is imperative for the development of an effective pain management plan. Nurses play a crucial role in the assessment of pain, use these techniques on how to comprehensively assess acute pain:

Perform pain assessment

1. Perform a comprehensive assessment of pain. Determine the location, characteristics, onset, duration, frequency, quality, and severity of pain via assessment.
The patient experiencing pain is the most reliable source of information about their pain. Their self-report on pain is the gold standard in pain assessment as they can describe the location, intensity, and duration. Thus, assessment of pain by conducting an interview helps the nurse in planning optimal pain management strategies.

Using the PQRST pain assessment mnemonic

Alternatively, you can use the nursing mnemonic “PQRST” to guide you during pain assessment:

  • Provoking Factors: “What makes your pain better or worse?”
  • Quality (characteristic): “Tell me what it’s exactly like. Is it a sharp pain, throbbing pain, dull pain, stabbing, etc?”
  • Region (location): “Show me where your pain is.”
  • Severity: Ask your pain to rate pain by using different pain rating methods (e.g., Pain scale of 1-10, Wong-Baker Faces Scale).
  • Temporal (onset, duration, frequency): “Does it occur all the time or does it come and go?”

2. Assess the location of the pain by asking to point to the site that is discomforting.
Using charts or drawings of the body can help the patient, and the nurse determines specific pain locations. For clients with a limited vocabulary, asking to pinpoint the location helps in clarifying your pain assessment – this is especially important when assessing pain in children.

See also: Pain Perplex: 5 Things Nurses Need to Understand About Pain Management

3. Perform history assessment of pain
Additionally, the nurse should ask the following questions during pain assessment to determine its history: (1) effectiveness of previous pain treatment or management; (2) what medications were taken and when; (3) other medications being taken; (4) allergies or known side effects to medications.

4. Determine the client’s perception of pain.
In taking a pain history, provide an opportunity for the client to express in their own words how they view the pain and the situation to gain an understanding of what the pain means to the client. You can ask, “What does having this pain mean to you?”, “Can you describe specifically how this pain is affecting you?”.

5. Pain should be screened every time vital signs are evaluated.
Many health facilities set pain assessment as the “fifth vital sign” and should be added to routine vital signs assessment.

6. Pain assessments must be initiated by the nurse.
Pain responses are unique for each person, and some clients may be reluctant to report or voice out their pain unless asked about it.

7. Use the Wong-Baker FACES Rating Scale to determine pain intensity.
Some clients (e.g., children, language constraints) may not relate to numerical pain scales and may need to use the Wong-Baker Faces Rating Scale. Pain assessment tools help translate the patient’s subjective experience of pain into objective numbers or descriptors.

Determine factors that causes acute pain

 8. Investigate signs and symptoms related to pain.
An accurate assessment of pain is crucial in providing an individualized plan of care. Bringing attention to associated signs and symptoms may help the nurse in evaluating the pain. In some instances, the existence of pain is disregarded by the patient.

9. Determine the patient’s anticipation for pain relief.
Some patients may be satisfied when pain is no longer intense; others will demand complete elimination of pain. This influences the perceptions of the effectiveness of the treatment modality and their eagerness to engage in further treatments.

10. Assess the patient’s willingness or ability to explore a range of techniques to control pain.
Some patients may be hesitant to try the effectiveness of nonpharmacological methods and may be willing to try traditional pharmacological methods (i.e., the use of analgesics). A combination of both therapies may be more effective, and the nurse has the duty to inform the patient of the different methods to manage pain.

11. Determine factors that alleviate pain.
Ask clients to describe anything they have done to alleviate the pain. These may include, for example, meditation, deep breathing exercises, praying, etc. Information on these alleviating activities can be integrated into planning for optimal pain management.

Determine patient’s response to pain

12. Evaluate the patient’s response to pain and management strategies.
It is essential to assist patients to express as factually as possible (i.e., without the effect of mood, emotion, or anxiety) the effect of pain relief measures. Inconsistencies between behavior or appearance and what the patient says about pain relief (or lack of it) may reflect other methods the patient is using to cope with the pain rather than pain relief itself.

13. Provide ample time and effort regarding the patient’s report of their pain experience.
Patients may be reluctant to report their pain as they may perceive staff to be very busy and have competing demands on their time from other nurses, doctors, and patients (Manias et al., 2002). Interruptions during pain management can prevent nurses from assessing and managing the patient’s pain experience.

14. Evaluate what the pain suggests to the patient.
The meaning of pain will directly determine the patient’s response. Some patients, especially the dying, may consider that the “act of suffering” meets a spiritual need.

Nursing interventions for acute pain

Nurses are not to judge whether the acute pain is real or not. As a nurse, we should spend more time treating patients. The following are the therapeutic nursing interventions for your acute pain nursing diagnosis:

1. Provide measures to relieve pain before it becomes severe.
It is preferable to provide an analgesic before the onset of pain or before it becomes severe when a larger dose may be required. An example would be preemptive analgesia, which is administering analgesics before surgery to decrease or relieve pain after surgery. The preemptive approach is also useful before painful procedures like wound dressing changes, physical therapy, postural drainage, etc.

2. Acknowledge and accept the client’s pain.
Nurses have the duty to ask their clients about their pain and believe their reports of pain. Challenging or undermining their pain reports results in an unhealthy therapeutic relationship that may hinder pain management and deteriorate rapport.

Initiating nonpharmacologic pain management

3. Provide nonpharmacologic pain management.
Nonpharmacologic methods in pain management may include physical, cognitive-behavioral strategies, and lifestyle pain management. See methods below: 

3.1. Provide cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for pain management.
These methods are used to provide comfort by altering psychological responses to pain. Cognitive-behavioral interventions include:

  • Distraction. This technique involves heightening one’s concentration upon non-painful stimuli to decrease one’s awareness and experience of pain. Drawing the person away from the pain lessens the perception of pain. Examples include reading, watching TV, playing video games, and guided imagery.
  • Eliciting the Relaxation Response. Stress correlates to an increase in pain perception by increasing muscle tension and activating the SNS. Eliciting a relaxation response decreases the effects of stress on pain. Examples include directed meditation, music therapy, and deep breathing.
  • Guided imagery. Involves the use of mental pictures or guiding the patient to imagine an event to distract from the pain.
  • Repatterning Unhelpful Thinking. Involves patients with strong self-doubts or unrealistic expectations that may exacerbate pain and result in failure in pain management.
  • Other CBT techniques include Reiki, spiritually directed approaches, emotional counseling, hypnosis, biofeedback, meditation, and relaxation techniques.

3.2. Provide cutaneous stimulation or physical interventions
Cutaneous stimulation provides effective pain relief, albeit temporary. The way it works is by distracting the client away from painful sensations through tactile stimuli. Cutaneous stimulation techniques include:

  • Massage. When appropriate, massaging the affected area interrupts the pain transmission, increases endorphin levels, and decreases tissue edema. Massage aids in relaxation and decreases muscle tension by increasing superficial circulation to the area. Massage should not be done in areas of skin breakdown, suspected clots, or infections.
  • Heat and cold applications. Cold works by reducing pain, inflammation, and muscle spasticity by decreasing the release of pain-inducing chemicals and slowing the conduction of pain impulses. Cold is best when applied within the first 24 hours of injury while heat is used to treat the chronic phase of an injury by improving blood flow to the area and through reduction of pain reflexes.
  • Acupressure. An ancient Chinese healing system of acupuncture wherein the therapist applies finger pressure points that correspond to many of the points used in acupuncture.
  • Contralateral stimulation. Involves stimulating the skin in an area opposite to the painful area. This technique is used when the painful area cannot be touched.
  • Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS). Is the application of low-voltage electrical stimulation directly over the identified pain areas or along with the areas that innervate pain.
  • Immobilization. Restriction of movement of a painful body part is another nonpharmacologic pain management. To do this, you need splints or supportive devices to hold joints in the position optimal for function. Note that prolonged immobilization can result in muscle atrophy, joint contracture, and cardiovascular problems. Check with the agency protocol.
  • Other cutaneous stimulation interventions include therapeutic exercises (tai-chi, yoga, low-intensity exercises, ROM exercises), and acupuncture.

Provide pharmacologic pain management

4. Provide pharmacologic pain management as ordered.
Pain management using pharmacologic methods involves using opioids (narcotics), nonopioids (NSAIDs), and co analgesic drugs.

The World Health Organization (WHO) published guidelines on the logical usage of analgesics to treat cancer using a three-step ladder approach – also known as the analgesic ladder. The analgesic ladder focuses on aligning the proper analgesics with the intensity of pain.

  • Step 1: For mild pain (1 to 3 pain rating), the WHO analgesic ladder suggests the use of nonopioid analgesics with or without coanalgesics. If pain persists or increases despite providing full doses, then proceed to the next step.
  • Step 2: For moderate pain (4 to 6 pain rating), opioid, or a combination of opioid and nonopioid is administered with or without conanalgesics.
  • Step 3: For severe pain (7 to 10), the opioid is administered and titrated in ATC scheduled doses until the pain is relieved.

4.1. Administer nonopioids including acetaminophen and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin or ibuprofen, as ordered. 
NSAIDs work in peripheral tissues. Some block the synthesis of prostaglandins, which stimulate nociceptors. They are effective in managing mild to moderate pain. All NSAIDs have anti-inflammatory (except for acetaminophen), analgesic, and antipyretic effects. They work by inhibiting the enzyme cyclooxygenase (COX), a chemical activated during tissue damage, resulting in decreased synthesis of prostaglandins. NSAIDs also have a ceiling effect. Once the maximum analgesic benefit is achieved, additional amounts of the same drug will not produce more analgesia and may risk the patient for toxicity.

Common side effects of NSAIDs include heartburn or indigestion. There is also a possibility of forming a small stomach ulcer due to platelet aggregation. To prevent these side effects, clients should be taught to take NSAIDs with food and a full glass of water.

Common NSAIDs include:

  • Aspirin. It can prolong bleeding time and should be stopped a week before a client undergoes any surgical procedure. Should never be given to children below 12 years of age due to the possibility of Reye’s syndrome. May cause excessive anticoagulation if the client is taking warfarin.
  • Acetaminophen (Tylenol). May have serious hepatotoxic side effects and possible renal toxicity with high dosages or with long-term use. Limit acetaminophen usage to 3 grams per day.
  • Celecoxib (Celebrex). Is a COX-2 inhibitor that has fewer GI side effects than COX-1 NSAIDs.

For the full list, please visit: Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) and Related Agents

4.2. Administer opioids as ordered.
Opioids are indicated for severe pain and can be administered orally, IV, PCA systems, or epidurally.

  • Opioids for moderate pain. These include codeine, hydrocodone, and tramadol (Ultram) which are combinations of nonopioid and opioid.
  • Opioids for severe pain. These include morphine, hydromorphone, oxycodone, methadone, and fentanyl. Most of these are controlled substances due to potential misuse. These drugs are indicated for severe pain, or when other medications fail to control pain.

For the full list, please visit: Narcotics, Narcotic Antagonists, and Antimigraine Agents

4.3. Administer coanalgesics (adjuvants), as ordered. 
Coanalgesics are medications that are not classified as pain medication but have properties that may reduce pain alone or in combination with other analgesics. They may also relieve other discomforts, increase the effectiveness of pain medications, or reduce the pain medication’s side effects. Commonly used coanalgesics include: 

  • Antidepressants. Is a common coanalgesic that helps in increasing pain relief, improving mood, and reducing excitability.
  • Local Anesthetics. These drugs block the transmission of pain signals and are used for pain in specific areas of nerve distribution.
  • Other coanalgesics. Include anxiolytics, sedatives, and antispasmodics to relieve other discomforts. Stimulants, laxatives, and antiemetics are other coanalgesics that reduce the side effects of analgesics.

5. Manage acute pain using a multimodal approach. 
A multimodal approach is based on using two or more distinct methods or drugs to enhance pain relief (rather than resorting to opioid use or other pain management strategies alone). Different combinations of analgesic medications, adjuvants, and procedures can act on different sites and pathways in an additive or synergistic fashion. Combining medications and techniques allows the lowest effective dose of each drug to be administered, resulting in reduced side effects. 

6. Administer analgesia before painful procedures whenever possible.
Doing so will help prevent pain caused by relatively painful procedures (e.g., wound care, venipunctures, chest tube removal, endotracheal suctioning, etc.).

7. Perform nursing care during the peak effect of analgesics. 
Oral analgesics typically peak in 60 minutes, and intravenous analgesics in 20 minutes. Performing nursing tasks during the peak effect of analgesics optimizes client comfort and compliance in care. 

8. Evaluate the effectiveness of analgesics as ordered and observe for any signs and symptoms of side effects.
The patient’s effectiveness of pain medications must be evaluated individually since they are absorbed and metabolized differently.

For more interventions related to pain, please visit Chronic Pain Nursing Care Plan

Recommended nursing diagnosis and nursing care plan books and resources.

Disclosure: Included below are affiliate links from Amazon at no additional cost from you. We may earn a small commission from your purchase. For more information, check out our privacy policy.

Ackley and Ladwig’s Nursing Diagnosis Handbook: An Evidence-Based Guide to Planning Care
We love this book because of its evidence-based approach to nursing interventions. This care plan handbook uses an easy, three-step system to guide you through client assessment, nursing diagnosis, and care planning. Includes step-by-step instructions showing how to implement care and evaluate outcomes, and help you build skills in diagnostic reasoning and critical thinking.

Nursing Care Plans – Nursing Diagnosis & Intervention (10th Edition)
Includes over two hundred care plans that reflect the most recent evidence-based guidelines. New to this edition are ICNP diagnoses, care plans on LGBTQ health issues, and on electrolytes and acid-base balance.

Nurse’s Pocket Guide: Diagnoses, Prioritized Interventions, and Rationales
Quick-reference tool includes all you need to identify the correct diagnoses for efficient patient care planning. The sixteenth edition includes the most recent nursing diagnoses and interventions and an alphabetized listing of nursing diagnoses covering more than 400 disorders.

Nursing Diagnosis Manual: Planning, Individualizing, and Documenting Client Care 
Identify interventions to plan, individualize, and document care for more than 800 diseases and disorders. Only in the Nursing Diagnosis Manual will you find for each diagnosis subjectively and objectively – sample clinical applications, prioritized action/interventions with rationales – a documentation section, and much more!

All-in-One Nursing Care Planning Resource – E-Book: Medical-Surgical, Pediatric, Maternity, and Psychiatric-Mental Health 
Includes over 100 care plans for medical-surgical, maternity/OB, pediatrics, and psychiatric and mental health. Interprofessional “patient problems” focus familiarizes you with how to speak to patients.

See also

Other recommended site resources for this nursing care plan:

References and Sources

Recommended resources to further your study for this acute pain nursing care plan.

Gil Wayne ignites the minds of future nurses through his work as a part-time nurse instructor, writer, and contributor for Nurseslabs, striving to inspire the next generation to reach their full potential and elevate the nursing profession.

8 thoughts on “Acute Pain Nursing Care Plan and Management”

  1. Thanks for sharing this amazing post! Remember that acute pain management should be individualized based on the patient’s unique circumstances. Regular reassessment and communication are key components of effective acute pain management. Always adhere to your healthcare facility’s policies and protocols when implementing pain management interventions.

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