Pain Rating Scale

and Short-Form McGill

Pain QuestionnaireJessica BruceVeronica BehmRaven DarnellAbbie RademacherLaura DreyerCaroline Burris

Objectives:

Purpose

Target population

Data

Limitations

Training

Implementation

Implications for the nursing practice

What is Pain?

Pain is best defined, as an uncomfortable or

unpleasant feeling that tells you something may be wrong in your body.

Faces Pain Rating Scale

Purpose and Target Population

The FACES pain rating scale is used to allow patients to quantify their pain

This allows their caretakers to assess their state of health more accurately and determine a care plan more effectively

This scale is particularly useful for children who may not know how to verbalize their level of pain

Data

The data provided using the FACES scale is subjective

Pain is subjective because its presence is reported by the patient

Pain is as severe as a patient reports it to be

Limitations

This scale is most effective when used while the patient is experiencing the pain he/she is rating

Training

No formal training is needed prior to the administration of this scale. Two tips should be remembered while administering this assessment:The provider should point to each face

using the appropriate words to describe the pain intensity illustrated there

The provider should explain to the patient that each face represents an increase in pain

Implementation

The FACES pain scale is very easy to use

It is quick and simple yet provides valuable data

Implication for Nursing Practice

This tool is user friendly and easy to understand. It allows the patient to verbalize his or her pain since pain is subjective to each person. It is a great nursing practice technique to use in the hospital setting and allows for health care professionals to get the best results in pain management.

Pain

Short Form McGill Pain Questionnaire

Visual Pain Intensity and Present Pain Intensity

Scales

Purpose

This questionnaire measures the different qualities of the subjective pain experience

Target Population and Data

The McGill pain survey is most commonly used for adults experiencing chronic pain problems

The data obtained is subjective from the patient. Patients rate their pain based on the quality of the pain they experience.

For example: a patient experiencing severe “sharp” pain would indicate his/her “sharp” pain level at a “4” on a scale of 0-4.

Limitations/Training

The healthcare professional must be able to define and describe all of the qualitative measures of pain used on the scale to the patient

No formal training is required for the administration of this assessment, but an understanding of what each descriptor means is necessary for the healthcare professional

Implementation

The implementation of the McGill scale takes much more time and is more complicated than the FACES scale. However, it does give more detailed information.

Implementations for Nursing Practice

The McGill survey and all of its components provide a qualitative assessment of pain for the healthcare providers. Being able to rank particular pain qualities provides patients with a way to quantify their pain while giving the healthcare provider a more accurate measurement of the type of pain experienced.

Resources

Melzack, R. (2014). The short-form McGill pain questionnaire. Department of Psychology, 30 (2) 191-197. DOI: 10.1016/0304-3959(87)91074-8

Garra, G., Singer, A., Taira, B., Chohan, J., Cardoz, H., Chisena, E., Thode, H. (2010). Validation of the Wong-Baker faces pain-rating scale in pediatric emergency department patients. Academic Emergency Medicine, 17 (1) 50-54. DOI: 10.1111/j.1553-2712.2009.00620.x

Savino, F., Vagliano., L., Ricceri, F. (2013). Pain assessment in children undergoing venipuncture: the Wong-Baker faces scale versus skin conductance fluctuations. PMC: Peerj, doi:  10.7717/peerj.37