ABSTRACT: The identification of pain in veterinary patients is an essential skill of a Registered Veterinary Nurse (RVN) and the requirement of standardised protocols for the pain assessment of all patients in practice is vital in acute pain management. Pain scoring should be extended to all in-patients and include those admitted for routine elective procedures, as this is an area that pain scoring is often under utilised. RVNs should strive to provide gold standard patient care and by implementing pain scoring systems into practice a standardised and evidence based approach can be employed by all members of the team and appropriate analgesia provided when necessary.

Author

Ashleigh Thurston BSc VN, RVN

Ashleigh graduated from Myerscough University Centre with an FdSc in Veterinary Nursing with Distinction in 2016. She has since completed her BSc Top-up in Veterinary Nursing and graduated from Myerscough University Centre with First Class Honours in 2019. She has experience working in a university referral hospital, general practice and clinical pathology laboratory. After qualifying as a RVN she worked at a busy first opinion practice and has spent the last 3 years working for the University of Liverpool Small Animal Practice and is involved in the training of final year undergraduate veterinary students. Ashleigh’s main areas of interest are anaesthesia, acute pain management, evidence-based veterinary medicine, theatre nursing and wound management.

Email: ashleigh.thurston18@gmail.com

Keywords: pain scoring; analgesia; audits

To cite this article: Veterinary Nursing Journal • VOL 35 (03) • March 2020 pp 68-71

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