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Emma Malpeli
 Nov 16, 07 - 12:57 PM |
Pain link nurses
I am the Service Innovation Manager at TrusTECH, the North West Regional NHS Innovation Hub. Services submitted to the Innovation Hub are assessed in order to establish if they are novel and would result in benefits for the NHS and patients if they were adopted on a wider scale. I am in the process of assessing a Link Nurse Development Programme for Pain Management, this has been developed by a Specialist Pain Team working within an Acute Trust in the North West region and I am attempting to obtain expert opinions on this approach. I would be grateful if you could offer an opinion on the service? The information is as follows: The aims of establishing this service include: to improve quality of care for patients; to ensure that issues of pain management are more ‘visible’; staff development, the development programme links into the Knowledge and Skills Framework; to ease the workload and ensure that the expertise of the pain specialist team is utilised in the most appropriate way, ward and medical staff are encouraged to approach the link nurses in the first instance rather than contacting the specialist nurses from the outset. The Pain Specialist Nurses deliver information about the link nurse service during the induction programme for new doctors. A role summary and development handbook have been developed for the Pain Management Link Nurse Programme. There are approximately 36 pain link nurses in place across the surgical directorate; there is no evidence available to date relating to the impact of the link nurse programme but poor pain management is recognized as a factor in increased length of stay for patients, it is likely that work will be undertaken to evaluate the link nurse service in the near future (the service was implemented in February 2007).The specialist nurses feel that the programme has resulted in improvements for patients, development for staff and more appropriate use of the specialist team’s skills. The link nurses attend bi monthly meetings to discuss developments and issues; they must spend 2 days every year working directly with the specialist pain management nurses. Link nurses have 1:1 meetings with their mentor (specialist nurse) to work through the development programme; during these meetings the different aspects of the programme are discussed, for example: pain assessment, different analgesia, reflection; the mentor will check the link nurse’s knowledge and understanding of each aspect of the programme before that section of the programme is signed off. The developer of the programme is willing to share knowledge and associated paperwork freely with interested NHS organisations. I am specifically interested in feedback on the following points: 1) Have similar ‘Pain Management Link Nurse Programmes’ been developed and widely adopted within the NHS? 2) Does this approach appear to have a novelty factor compared to similar services/approaches? 3) Do you think that other NHS Trusts may be interested in adopting the service? 4) Any additional comments that you may have? Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any queries about this request. Many thanks in anticipation of your assistance. |
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Sally Sm.
Nov 21st, 2007 - 4:15 PM |
Re: Pain link nurses
It might be worth talking to the Acute Pain Service at Manchester Royal Infirmary, as they have a formalised link nurse set-up |
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sarah coulling
Nov 22nd, 2007 - 10:34 AM |
Re: Pain link nurses
The theory is good and principles are sound, everyone always signs up to it. The trouble is 'ideal vs reality'. It's difficult for staff to leave the ward for mandatory training let alone link nurse meetings or 1:1 with pain team mentors. We tend to find it's only the really interested and motivated link nurses who embrace their role, often driven by a course they might be studying in HE and nearly always in their own time. The other issue is that not all wards/depts are flushed with enthusiastic nurses and they can end up overloaded with other link nurse remits alongside pain management such as infection control/tissue viability/manual handling/diabetes/stoma care/palliative care etc! Pain Teams too vary in shapes and sizes and for an ambitious development scheme to work they need to be resourced by band 7 or 8 CNSs able to a) offer the appropriate level of clinical and educational expertese necessary and b) have the time to do this and c) the true grit to keep the momentum going. I'll email you a copy of our Link Nurse Development Scheme including specific competencies around their facilitatory role....i wish i could say it was working perfectly but the reality is only in some areas...well, if we didn't reach for the stars we wouldn't get anywhere! Yes, development schemes such as in the NW and here (Epsom & St Helier) are novel, innovative and with their successful implementation contribute to improving the patients pain experiences and clinical governance standards...wider support such as from yourselves can only help in securing strategic recognition of the importance of inpatient pain management services. All the best Sarah |
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Sarah P
Nov 27th, 2007 - 3:08 PM |
Re: Pain link nurses
HI We have been using a pain link nurse system for ten years now and as i am the only childrens pain specialist in the trust i could not deliver the service without their support. we developed a link role job discription to support everyone and ensure the clinical areas support their role, attendence at meetings and time for ward training / education. 
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