You're faced with a patient in pain. How do you balance empathy with clinical protocols?

Empathy is at the heart of everything that makes us human. Whether this is in policymaking, communicating with peers, or providing care. It is when we start to believe that empathy and our function as a clinician is somehow separate and siloed, that we fail at our jobs and our patients receive poor treatment. Neither empathy nor clinical protocols make us experts in pain management. But genuine, authentic empathy is at the core of being a good clinician. We can teach a clinician how to be competent in following a protocol. It becomes problematic if we have to teach a clinician the importance of having empathy.

Empathy is the foundation of nursing, and it's what sets nurses apart as caregivers. By putting themselves in their patients' shoes and truly understanding their experiences, nurses can: - Create a safe and supportive environment - Deliver personalized and compassionate care - Build trust and foster strong relationships - Improve health outcomes and patient satisfaction Empathy is not just a feeling, but a skill that nurses can develop and hone over time. By actively listening, asking thoughtful questions, and acknowledging patients' concerns, nurses can demonstrate their commitment to empathetic care. In doing so, they not only improve patient outcomes but also enhance the overall nursing experience.

Balancing empathy with clinical protocols involves actively listening to the patient's concerns, clearly communicating the necessary procedures, and showing compassion through words and actions. While strictly adhering to pain management guidelines, it's important to involve the patient in decision-making and offer appropriate pain relief options. Regular monitoring and adjustment of the treatment plan based on the patient's feedback ensure their comfort, while thorough documentation maintains protocol adherence. This approach ensures empathetic care within the framework of clinical guidelines.

When faced with such patients who are suffering from pain, you definitely need to follow the clinicalprotocol. The empathy part of being a healthcare provider requires complete control of your reactions and response to patient s symptoms. Pain is unmeasurable clinical symptom that could have completely been exaggerated by certain individual according to their Pain threshold. We don’t have a machine in clinical practice to measure pain when patients are suffering. For that particular reason, one should always control their reactions and their response to symptoms of pain, particularly when patients are demanding pain control, or pain medicine. We have seen the opioid epidemic that has been created by healthcare providers because of empathy.

Use a systematic approach to assess pain. Employ validated pain assessment tools, such as the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), or the Wong-Baker FACES scale. Take into account the patient’s description of the pain, its intensity, location, and impact on daily activities.

Follow established clinical protocols to manage pain effectively. Start with a thorough evaluation to identify the underlying cause of the pain. Implement a stepwise approach to pain management, beginning with non-pharmacologic interventions and progressing to pharmacologic treatments as needed. Ensure that all interventions are evidence-based.

So true, Joe. Treating chronic pain is nowhere near as difficult as living with chronic pain, with stigma adding to the burden.

Maintain open and honest communication with the patient. Explain the pain management plan clearly, including the reasons for chosen treatments and what the patient can expect. Encourage questions and discussions to ensure the patient feels informed and involved in their care.

Pain.managment is not a linear,, dose increase, pharmacotherapy switch journey BUT. May include those components. The patient self report consistent. And staying on top of things before the patient has felt a complet loss of dignity and decorum to achieve a semblance of management of pain. And patients can have a tendency to put a ' brave face forward' by which time the consultants have left, and the interns are also at a loss to. Prescribe something, until the consultants arrive. Training, education and leadership could help with the deficit , I feel.