Listening to Unheard Voices: Nurses’ Communication Experiences with the NRS Pain Scale

Authors

Matthew H. Barton, Southern Utah UniversityFollow
Kevin Stein, Southern Utah UniversityFollow

Abstract

This study examines nurses’ experiences with the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS). These responses characterize the communication trials that nurses face with pain diagnosis, pain management, and overall patient care. Interviews with 20 nurses reveal three themes: subject dissatisfaction, feeling limited, and subjective satisfaction. An analysis of these themes reveals the need for renewed discussion about the way pain is communicated and the challenging expectations nurses must regularly confront. Implications for listening to important, but often quiet, even silent, voices in pain management and clinical practice are discussed.

Recommended Citation

Barton, Matthew H. and Stein, Kevin (2016) "Listening to Unheard Voices: Nurses’ Communication Experiences with the NRS Pain Scale," Discourse: The Journal of the SCASD: Vol. 3, Article 5.
Available at: https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/discoursejournal/vol3/iss1/5