Systematic reassessment is essential to determine the effectiveness and safety of the pain treatment plan. The pain rating scale is the primary tool used in the postoperative setting to evaluate effectiveness, allowing nurses to compare the intensity of pain before and after analgesic interventions. The frequency with which pain ratings are obtained depends on the situation. Guidelines recommend that, at a minimum, pain should be assessed during the initial encounter and then reassessed and documented at regular intervals after a management plan is initiated, with each new report of pain and at an appropriate interval after intervention (APS, 2008; McCaffery, Herr, & Pasero, 2011). For example, pain ratings every 5 to 15 minutes may be appropriate during IV opioid titration for severe pain in the PACU.
Reassessment also includes evaluating patients for the presence and severity of adverse effects from pain treatment interventions and determining the need to treat adverse effects or perhaps change the pain management plan (Jarzyna et al., 2011; Pasero, Quinn, Portenoy, McCaffery, & Rizos, 2011). Patient safety is a primary concern. In all cases, adjustments in the treatment plan are individualized according to the patient response (both to pain relief and adverse effects).