Darcy Irvin, Instructional Design

Description

Pain is a complex area of study and discussion because it is a highly subjective and yet also universal experience. Everyone (or almost everyone) has pain, but pain is very individual and unique. Pain assessment in clinical practice is of course necessary, but there can be many obstacles to communicating effectively about pain, such as language barriers, subjective or biased perceptions of pain, and doubt and confusion about the severity and intensity of pain.

This short lesson focuses on recognizing the different types of problems that can occur when talking about pain; provides guidance on how pain scales can be correctly administered to overcome problems in communication about pain; and enables a practitioner to practice analyzing a scenario, selecting an appropriate pain scale, and justifying its selection given the situation.

This sample module consists of three parts:

• A slide deck for an in-person instructor-led training (that could be adapted for a virtual format).
• An accompanying instructor guide with detailed notes regarding inclusive practices and facilitating the exercises.
• A storyboard for the slide-deck.

Downloads

Process

• Developed fictional learner profiles.
• Designed learning objectives.
• Rough-sketched other modules in lesson.
• Sourced research articles on primary pain scales and pain communication.
• Storyboarded the slide deck.
• Selected and modified images for the slide deck.
• Created the slide deck.
• Created the instructor guide.

Slide Deck Highlights

• Animated slides to demonstrate visually how the health care provider would correctly administer the pain scales.
• Interactive exercises to engage learners in both critiquing and reviewing the pain scales and the situations in which a specific scale would be appropriate or inappropriate for use.
• An inclusive framework that welcomes all learners into discussion of the material and participation in the exercises.

Instructor Guide Highlights

• Clear scripts for the instructor to use in discussing/reviewing each slide.
• Instructor flexibility to make adjustments as needed.
• Clarification of instructor and participant roles for all interactive group exercises.
• Provision of specific examples and research citations as needed for discussion.

Slide Deck Storyboard Highlights

• Clear and specific directions about the text, graphics/animations, and user instructions for each slide in the slide deck.
• A clean, minimalist, and easy-to-follow layout.

Technology

• Microsoft Suite (PowerPoint, Word)
• Inkscape (vector-graphics software)