Personal judgements and experiences may
influence healthcare professionals’ assessment of
pain, leading to an over reliance on physiological
signs and behaviours indicating the presence of
pain. These can be misleading and inaccurate,
particularly in patients with chronic pain. The
use of formal pain assessment tools enables
effective assessment and communication between
healthcare professionals and patients, and reduces
error and bias (Carr and Mann 2000a). Pain is
a personal experience and the challenge for nurses
is to enable patients to express their pain.