Descriptor 4: Treating the pain
Relief of pain was perceived as an important aspect of physical care and comfort to critically ill patients in the ICU. One nurse summarised her experience of providing comfortwhen she said:
We get all kinds of patients, all kinds of diagnoses–may it be trauma, post-operative or acutely critically ill patients. Pain is pretty much a very common problem among these patients. Even an ‘intubated patient’ can be in pain. Nurses should be able to assess them well for they areunable to verbalise. Patients should be comfortable and not need to suffer of pain.We won’t be able to do much on patients if they are in pain, so it is one of the priorities that we should
deal with in ICU.