Pain assessment is an essential part of patient care. Nurses often use the PQRST method:
P: Provokes - What causes the pain? What makes it better or worse? Q: Quality - What does the pain feel like? (sharp, dull, stabbing, etc.) R: Radiates - Does the pain radiate to other parts of the body? S: Severity - How severe is the pain on a scale of 0-10? T: Time - When did the pain start? How long does it last?
This method provides a comprehensive understanding of the patient's pain experience.
