Publications by authors named "Laurie Ware"

Self-report pain assessment tools are commonly used in clinical settings to determine patients' pain intensity. The Iowa Pain Thermometer (IPT) is a tool that was developed for research, but also can be used in clinical settings. However, its utility in clinical settings is challenging because it uses a 13-point scale (0-12 scale) that does not align with common electronic pain scoring metrics.

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Although the provision of timely and appropriate analgesia is a primary goal of Emergency Department (ED) staff, pain continues to be undertreated and some evidence supports the existence of pain treatment disparities. Despite strong incentives from accreditation organizations, pain management in the ED may still be inconsistent and problematic. The purpose of this research study was to conduct a retrospective chart review to investigate pain assessment and treatment for 200 adults (≥18 years old) admitted to the ED suffering from long-bone fractures.

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Purpose/objectives: To explore patient satisfaction among newly diagnosed patients with breast cancer in a rural community setting using a nurse navigation model.

Design: Nonexperimental, descriptive study.

Setting: Large, multispecialty physician outpatient clinic serving about 150 newly diagnosed patients with breast cancer annually at the time of the study.

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What is the meaning of advocacy, and how does it relate to the nurse who wants patients to experience optimum pain management? This question and the lack of empirical data provided the stimulus for the American Society for Pain Management Nursing (ASPMN) Research Committee to explore ASPMN members' beliefs, knowledge, and skills regarding pain management advocacy activities. The specific aim of the study was to determine the educational needs for and barriers of advocacy for nurses working with patients experiencing pain. An ASPMN Advocacy Survey Instrument was developed to gather data about advocacy activities and interventions.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates ethnic disparities in wait times for analgesia in emergency departments among patients with long bone fractures.
  • A retrospective analysis of 234 medical records revealed that Hispanic patients waited significantly longer for pain medication compared to European-American patients (average wait: 102 minutes vs. 67 minutes).
  • Findings also indicate notable differences in wait times when opioids were ordered and in nurse pain documentation, highlighting systemic issues in pain management for ethnic and minority patients.
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The purpose of this study was to determine the reliability and validity of selected pain intensity scales including the Faces Pain Scale Revised (FPS-R), Verbal Descriptor Scale (VDS), Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), and Iowa Pain Thermometer (IPT) with a cognitively impaired minority sample. A descriptive correlational design was used, and a convenience sample of 68 participants, admitted to acute care facilities in the South, with an average Mini Mental Status Exam score of 23 comprised the sample. Thirty-two percent of the participants were males, and 68% were females.

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