Heartbeat August 2019

New assessment tool to help
clinicians evaluate pain
A pain assessment tool aimed at
helping clinicians evaluate patient’s
pain to decide upon appropriate
treatment and intervention has
been rolled out across the Trust and
incorporated as part of Unity.
The Abbey Pain Assessment tool is a quick
and easy tool which is designed to be used
with patients who are having difficulty in
communicating for a variety of reasons.
This could include because they have had
a stroke, cognitive difficulties, Dementia,
distress or even a simple language barrier.
The assessment tool covers six areas which
can be used to assess the patient, these are:
• Vocalisation
• Facial expression
• Change in body language
• Behavioural change
• Physiological change
• Physical changes
Using these characteristics the patient is
scored to determine the level and type of
pain that they are likely to be experiencing.
This method makes it easier to assess pain
rather than, for example, asking where on
a scale of 1-10 a patient feels their pain
is, something which would be difficult
Pauline Richards shows us the Abbey Pain
Assessment Tool
to explain when there are communication
barriers and also something which is highly
subjective.
This scale allows appropriate analgesia to be
prescribed and also prompts the clinician to
return to the patient after an hour to reassess.
Using the tool means that time is saved for
the clinician, who can avoid having to try
find ways to communicate in order to gather
information, which in turn benefits the patient
by limiting any potential frustration.
The Abbey tool is named after Dr Jennifer
Abbey who is the developer and innovator
behind the Abbey Pain Scale (APS) which has
been the standard pain assessment tool used
for people who cannot verbalise in Australia
CORPORATE AND GENERAL
NEWS
and parts of the UK since 2004.
Pauline Richards, Project Facilitator in
Corporate Nursing Services said: “It
makes it much easier for colleagues such
as nurses and other clinicians, who can
use their own knowledge of the patient
to assess them. The tool then acts as
a resource to guide them on how to
effectively manage that patient’s pain”.
Before the introduction of this tool there
wasn’t a standardised template that was
being used across the Trust to help with
pain management.
Pauline is about to go back and
complete her first round of audits to
check that the assessment tool is being
used correctly and effectively, and that it
is embedded within the system.
Pauline said:“With the use of this
assessment tool, it doesn’t matter which
ward a nurse is on, or which discipline
a doctor is working in, the patient will
receive a standardised assessment of
their pain.”
Flu fighting force returns this autumn
After winning two awards last season
at the annual NHS Employer’s awards
ceremony, our Stars Wars themed flu
campaign will be returning in full force
on 1 October, ready to take on the
scourge of seasonal flu!
“May the 4 be with you” is something
you will soon hear throughout the hospital
as the flu campaign gets underway. The
vaccine provides four shields of protection
against the virus as it successfully did last
year.
According to recent figures from Public
Health England, it is estimated that an
average of 8,000 people die from flu in
England each year.
Tracy Lees, Occupational Health and
Wellbeing Nurse Manager, is urging both
clinical and non-clinical colleagues to join
the flu fighting force and have their flu jab
this year.
She said: “Many people spread the flu
without even knowing it. Up to 50 per
cent of confirmed influenza infections
are subclinical which could mean infected
colleagues pass on the virus to vulnerable
patients, colleagues and family members.
It has also been estimated that 1 in 4
healthcare professionals may become
infected with influenza during a mild
influenza season, so having the jab can
massively reduce the risks of infection. It’s
important to get protected not infected.”
The flu vaccination offers the only
protection against the flu. The vaccine
doesn’t cause the flu, which is one of
many myths about the injection. The most
common side effect of the injection can be
slight bruising or localised muscular stiffness
at the injection point but this soon clears up
after a few days.
In addition, the vaccination also helps
protect women during pregnancy and their
babies for up to six months after they are
born, with one study showing that giving
the flu vaccine to pregnant women was
around 92 per cent effective in preventing
the hospitalisation of infants for flu.
Alison Pincher, Senior Occupational Health
Nurse Advisor believes it is everyone’s duty
to get vaccinated.
She said: “As a colleague at this Trust,
it is your responsibility to protect your
patients, fellow colleagues and family
members at home from the flu, which
is why I think it is necessary to get the
jab. Though it can take up to two weeks
to give protection, the vaccine itself is
very safe and doesn’t contain any pork
products or latex so even colleagues
with allergies or religious objections to
these components can still have their
flu vaccination. The flu vaccine can also
be given to those who have mild egg
allergies and we also have an egg free
vaccine for those who have a definite
egg allergy.”
This flu season we would like to hear
patient experiences regarding the flu
and why they believe colleagues should
have their flu vaccine. If you know of
anybody who could help with this, or
for more information about the flu
vaccination, including becoming a peer
vaccinator this flu season, please contact
occupational health on ext. 3306.
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