Could incorporating observational pain scoring tools into UK paramedic practice improve assessment and management of pain in the cognitively impaired elderly?
Order Description

have to complete a 6000 word literature review project, which critically analyses and evaluates one aspect of professional practice relevant to
Paramedics in the UK

DESCRIPTION OF ASSESSMENT

The student will be required to:

build on skills, knowledge and understanding gained in the previous courses, and demonstrate the ability to critically analyse and evaluate an aspect of literature relevant to current UK paramedic practice.

demonstrate a thorough and systematic understanding of research processes and critiquing skills throughout the review.

develop and utilise information and communication technology in order to maintain an understanding of recent innovations and development in care based on evidence outlined

propose and justify a set of recommendations for practice at local level
Chapter 2: Critical Review of the Literature

This chapter should be organised according to the themes. Such themes should emerge from the primary research gathered for your review.

Relevant research based evidence should be described and critically discussed. The quality of the discussion is particularly important. Student should attempt a critical analysis, which is both coherent and balanced. The literature review should be structured in a way, which moves from general consideration of the topic to a more specific focus. Generally, the chapter should conclude by identifying clear themes from the literature relevant to clinical practice. The student will be required to demonstrate a thorough and systematic understanding of research processes by clearly identifying strengths and weaknesses of methodologies/approaches used by authors whose work have
been reviewed.
Theme 1: Current attitudes towards pain assessment and management and the impact of education on paramedics
Theme 2: current practice (uni-dimensional and multi-dimensional pain tools)
Theme 3: utility and scope of introducing multidimensional/observational tools into practice.

Initially I did want the project to be focussed on the cognitively impaired elderly (eg. dementia), but am grateful for any help, or if your feel expanding it from elderly patients would be better.

The themes were only what I was thinking, but I was also looking at possibly writing about elderly pain experiences and/or different tools for different cognitive abilities.

As paramedic research is still in its infancy in the UK, as much as I need it to be as UK based as possible, I have found research which is paramedic/pre-hospital specific from other countries. I have also looked at nursing related articles which I feel may be appropriate.