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PAIN CHAMPIONS MINUTES

Purpose: To provide leadership, education, and quality improvement initiatives related to pain management to
all University of Colorado Hospital staff (inpatient and outpatient) through the evidence-based
practice process.
Date: December 18, 2013
Present: see the roster Time: 1200-1300
Absent: See attendance on Hub Location: Room 2005 AOP
Guest(s): Chair: Barb Krumbach & Amanda Swedhin
Next Scheduled Meeting: January 15, 2014 Recorder: Bev Page
AGENDAITEM ISSUES ACTIONS
RELATIONSHIPTO
MAGNET COMPONENTS
Audit Updates QuarterlyAudits area due this month. All units need to turn in their
audits to Jana
New Knowledge, Innovations
and Improvements
HCAPS Scores What can we do to increase our scores to 1) PainWell Controlled and
2) Staff Does Everything to help with Pain.. The Hospital goal is
74.3%
We went around the room and
members gave examples of how
they were actively trying to
improve their scores: see results
below
New Knowledge, Innovations
and Improvements
Co- Chairs Amanda is currently our Co-Chair; however she has recently accepted
a position as Educator. We need to have a staff nurse in a co-chair
position.
Think about who would like to
do this. We will discuss it at a
future meeting.
New Knowledge, Innovations
and Improvements
Pain Study Regina presented the data from the 130 patients interviewed at the
Managers Meeting. Regina would like to see 5 10 patients
interviewed per month. It takes approximately 30 minutes for each
one.. She talked about training us on interviewing at our next meeting
inJanuary.
She asked for assistance in
collecting data. Managers want
to support this. Possibly1-2
hours/week. In addition, some
light duty nurses might be
interested in helping.
New Knowledge, Innovations
and Improvements
Other Toradol Flyers passed around. They are posted on the HUB Post themon your units for staff
to see
New Knowledge, Innovations
and Improvements
Unit Pain Project Contact person
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Neuroscience Unit Graduate nurse resident project: Use of ice to
decrease pain
Whiteboard compliance with pain plan,
Education about pain during spine class
(researching neuro-specific pain practices)
Educate new grads from the beginning on pain
Add auditors to help
Recognize staff who chart pain assessments
Chelsea Atkins
Shelly Limon
Emily Doyle


Keep staff aware of on-going audits
Department of
Anesthesiology
Working with various surgical teams and services
to provide consultation
Lynn Hornick
Rob Montgomery
Dr. Tom Henthorn
Department of
Pharmacy
Every patient who is taking pain medications
would be seen by a pharmacist on rounds to
determine if the regimen is appropriate or
causing problems. Not started yet. In a few
months with more staff.
Clark Lyda, PharmD
AIP/PACU Nothing at this time
MS PCU Re-education of patients about pain goal Use
of acetaminophen PRN
Ashleigh Anderson
Amanda Swedhin
Cardiac PCU Education of staff about providing comfort
In the hourly rounding using the 5Ps
sometimes pain gets lost

Cardiac ICU Reminder cards taped to all computers and
reminder emails to staff about documenting
reassessment

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Oncology/BMT UEXCEL credentialing project :
Doing a journal club on Emotional Intelligence
and Pain
Updating the purple patient education booklet
Patient education materials (Care notes on pain
medications) available in central location for
distribution
Sticky reminder about offering complementary
therapies to patients placed on computers on
wheels
Aurora Davis
Jaclyn Schulte
MICU Nothing at the time Lauren Luebbe
Orthopedic
Orthopedic Clinic
Preoperative education (pain class)
Using various pain tools to assess pain
Managing expectations for pain management
Increasing referrals to Acute Pain Service
Unit-based pharmacist helping with dialogue
New graduate project: Adjuvant order set and
using complementary therapy (music,
visualization, ice
Evaluation of pain management and
expectations
Kelly McDevitt
Ken Kidd

pre- and post-surgery and use of alternative
modalities

General Surgery Implementation of a pain communication board
in each room that outlines what pain
management strategies are being used
Development of a pain menu to include
complementary modalities
Aromatherapy, music
Angie Hill
Lindsey
Katy Bruce
Michael Banh
House wide American Pain Society Patient Outcomes Pain
Questionnaire survey of patients house wide
N=129 to date. Sharing of information with
University of Pennsylvania for validation of
Questionnaire
Regina Fink, Barb Krumbach,
Colleen Dingmann, Lauren
Luebbe, Alison Farmer, and
other pain champions
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6 west Hanging signs on computers that remind nurses
of options for pain relief. Team up with another
staff member to look at alternative pain methods
Survey staff as to why they think pain scores are
low.
Rebecca Rwubusisi
Pulmonary First a presurvey was sent to nursing which
assessed nurses current knowledge/compliance
with pain policy, how important they thought
pain management was, how they educate their
patients on their pain management plan, if they
offer non pharm pain relief methods, and if they
have enough or need more resources for pain
education. I also did a journal club on the unit
entitled Patient Perceptions of Pain Management
Therapy: A Comparasion of Real Time Assessment
of Patient Education and Satisfaction and
Registered Nurse Perceptions. The whiteboards in
each room were updated to include the
faces/numeric ppain scale and a spot to write the
patients goal and when the next pain medication
would be availabe. Signage (created originally on
Onc unit) was put on eeach COW in the patients
room which reminded nurses to give patients
care notes on their pain management
plan/medications and to offer non pharm pain
Wendy Cyriacks

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relief methods, with a list of possible methods. A
"pain information station" was created and
situated in the nurses station which held printed
copies of the most commonly used medication
care notes, along with many other care notes
related to pain, pain management, and
references for nurses. A sign was placed above
the pain management station that lists the
current month HCAHPS scores on the two pain
questions "How well was my pain managed"
"Nursing did everything they could to help with
pain". This will be updated monthly. I also did
education at staff meetings and via email. A post
survey will be sent out in January, along with
continued monitoring of the HCAHPS scores