Burns : journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries
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Accurate pain assessment is essential for proper analgesia during medical procedures in pediatric patients. The Faces, Legs, Activity, Cry, and Consolability (FLACC) scale has previously been shown to be a valid and reliable tool for assessing pediatric procedural pain in research labs. However, no study has investigated how rater factors (gender, number of dressing changes performed/week, burn history, having children, nursing experience, stress at home/work) and patient factors (pain intensity) affect the accuracy of FLACC ratings for procedural pain when implemented by bedside care providers. ⋯ The present study is the first study in the literature to systematically examine the factors influencing the accuracy of FLACC rating for pediatric procedural pain among bedside care providers. The findings suggest that nurse clinical experience and patient pain intensity are two significant contributors to rating accuracy.