Purpose We tested Home Pain Management for Children (HPMC) for effects on pain intensity, analgesics administered, satisfaction, and use of healthcare services over 3 post-discharge days. Design and Methods In this quasi-experimental study with 108 children and their parents, we used the numeric rating scale (NRS) or the Faces Pain Scale-Revised (FPS-R), calculated percentages of analgesics administered, and asked questions about expectations, satisfaction, and services. Between-group differences were tested with t-tests and ANOVA. Results After HPMC, children reported moderate pain and parents administered more analgesics on 2 study days. Parents and children were satisfied; parents used few services. Written instructions and a brief interactive session were not sufficient to change parents’ analgesic administration practices to relieve their children’s pain. Practice Implications Further research is needed to develop and test effective education interventions to facilitate relief of children’s post-operative pain.

Nurses caring for children should acknowledge them (with conversation or smiles) with each interaction, provide age-appropriate diversion and friendly interaction, provide basic needs in a gentle manner, and engage in protective and advocacy behaviors, such as frequent stops to assure a child's safety and well-being. Children appreciate a smile, a gentle touch, and kind words. Nurses who care for children should realize their continued need for physical comfort, reassurance, and conversation and know that these children understand and appreciate the advocacy roles nurses assume.

Implications for care include age-appropriate information in a variety of formats, minimizing the invasive nature of the treatment, providing opportunities for demonstration/return demonstration of skills, providing positive support and reassurance, and delivering concentrated instruction related to carbohydrate counting.