Post-operative pain management among surgical trauma patients in an acute ward: an evidence-based practice implementation project.

INTRODUCTION Effective pain management should be one of the main goals of healthcare professionals. The trauma unit of a hospital in an urban area of Spain carried out an implementation project, guided by the evidence-based criteria from JBI, to put in place the processes and initiatives needed to reduce post-operative pain. OBJECTIVES The aim of this implementation project was to promote evidence-based practice in managing post-operative pain. METHODS A pre-post implementation audit method was implemented using the JBI Practical Application of Clinical Evidence System (PACES) and Getting Research into Practice (GRiP). Each audit included 30 post-operative patients from a randomized sample who were evaluated before the project started and six months after key strategies had been implemented. The criteria were audited according to evidence-based process criteria. RESULTS At the baseline audit, the compliance percentages for the evidence-based criteria ranged from 10% to 43%. Seven obstacles were identified in relation to post-operative pain management. Following the GRiP table, the team established a series of strategies and resources to implement the improvement actions. When the implementation period ended, all the criteria had improved. CONCLUSIONS The quality improvement cycle allowed us to implement the clinical best practice recommendations, with subsequent outcome improvements for patients. Future audits should be performed to drive new cycles of improvement in evidence-based practice.