On the Frontlines of Post-Op Pain Management

A nurse in Oklahoma details her process for helping patients navigate their recovery — the key is communication and education.

“I’m a little sore, but I’m fine.”

The patient had a complex device implanted the previous day at the Oklahoma Heart Hospital but Nichole Baker, RN, found her lying in bed reporting she was comfortable as can be.

“People have different thresholds,” says Baker, “and everybody has different expectations of pain and how to deal with that. And that's where I think just good, general patient education comes into play, so they know what to expect prior to an event happening — and how to manage it after. Everybody's different, so everybody requires a different plan.”

A registered nurse for nearly 10 years, Baker has worked since 2022 at the physician-owned OHH, which has two locations, a network of more than 80 cardiovascular specialists at more than 60 clinics and hospitals across the state, and a research foundation that’s breaking ground in heart and lung care. “Devices like pacemakers and ICDs are probably where we see most of our pain management come into play,” she says.

Two-way Lines of Communication

Baker emphasizes she engages in face-to-face communication with her patients, setting expectations. “Prior to a patient undergoing anything, they need to have a realistic idea of what kind of discomfort they’re going to experience and understand that a pain of zero out of ten is not going to be realistic, depending on the procedure.”

Making sure they fully understand how to take their medications safely and effectively also sets them on a path to successful recovery. “If you provide them with the tools, through verbal communication, written communication, if you give them those tools — especially something to reference — it is very empowering for them,” she says. “It definitely helps them be part of their own healthcare.”

She also recommends the lines of communication be two-way. “If you have staff for it, maybe follow-up phone calls after that post-op period to see how they're doing at home, especially if they're having a lot of discomfort. I feel like that reads well to the patient, that they're cared about.”

Use the Teach-Back Method

Baker notes that despite having solid communication, there can still be confusion or misunderstandings. “Patients are probably going to forget what we tell them when they leave the room,” she says.

She uses the teach-back method — having the person repeat back to her what she just said — to circumvent memory lapses. “Definitely using the teach-back method is very helpful with patients because I get a lot of people who will just agree to my face and then they're calling two weeks later saying they didn't understand what they were told. So just because they're saying yes, they understand, I think the follow-through is beneficial in making sure they truly understand what they're agreeing to and understand expectations.”

Finally she advises that written communications be detailed, but easy to understand. “Simple is better,” Baker says. “Everybody’s at different literacy levels and just mindsets in general.”

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