I have this friend in the Union….

She tells me that she LOVES working with our nation’s warriors, “ her vets “ as she

so protectively refers to them. However, increasingly, she tells me that the work

is much more difficult, oftentimes driven by onerous and duplicative documentation.

Case in point:

Everyone involved in patient care is aware that pain and pain issues for

our vets are vitally important factors to be considered in the care of the

vet. The powers that be, both nationally, and also from the local V.A.

administrative hierarchy, have deemed it so….and RIGHTFULLY so !

These powers that be, maintain that these pain and pain issues must

at all times be addressed. And again, RIGHTFULLY so

Well….. ya know what ? Being the great nurse and ferocious veteran advocate that

my friend in the Union is…..she WHOLEHEARTEDLY AGREES ! My friend would NEVER

want to see “ her “ vets go hurting, especially if she could make a difference !

PAIN, within the VA system, is documented in a number of ways. Upon admission, a

detailed note is written, formatted, and included in what is known as the Nursing VANA.

Subsequent to this, if a vet reports pain, there is a template and a note which follows,

detailing EXTENSIVELY:

n location,

n duration,

n quality,

and

n intensity

of that pain.

This template and note is utilized, each and every time the vet is assessed as being in

pain. It takes a bit of time to fill it out, but again, it IS the RIGHT thing to be doing for

the vet, and for his or her pain.

On the other hand, in order to save time, should a vet NOT have any pain, a simple

zero ( reflecting, you guessed it, NO pain ) is entered in the vital signs area, FOR ALL

TO SEE, each and every time the vet is assessed and reports no pain ! This too, makes

sense…..and again, IS the RIGHT thing to do !

However….. my friend also tells me, should she have a vet, as she often does, who

has NO pain, and has NOT had pain, even for days and days, that IN ADDITION to the

pain score of ZERO being entered into the vital signs area ( again, FOR ALL TO SEE )

she must ALSO, IN ADDITION take additional and valuable time ( time taken away

from being with “ her vets “ providing EXTRA, and DUPLICATED and what she sees

as UNNECESSARY documentation, reiterating, each and every shift, that the veteran

has no pain ! Again, mind you, this is done, DESPITE the fact that this same

information is first also entered into documentation in the form of the simple zero in

the vital signs tab !

“ What a waste of valuable time “… my friend in the Union was overheard to say one

day.

Well, fortunately, that “ overhearing “ was overhead by one of her Union reps. The

issue is now ( and has been for awhile ) before the nursing administration of her V.A.

facility, and the Union is awaiting word back on the administration’s “ official “ take

on this one instance of needless duplication of efforts and documentation.

Stay tuned. More to follow !

Yeah, I have this friend in the Union……..

Union ! It works !