Table 1.

Description of Pain Assessment Tools.

Pain Assessment Toola	Type	Scale	Assessment
Numeric Rating Scale (NRS)	Self-Report	0–10, eyes closed/patient calm	Clinician asks patient “On a scale of 0–10 where 0 is no pain and 10 is the worst pain you’ve experienced, at this moment, what number represents your overall pain level?”
Verbal Descriptor Scale (VDS)	Self-Report	none, mild, moderate, severe, eyes closed/patient calm	Clinician asks patients to rate their pain using these descriptors
FACES Pain Scale Revised (FPS-R)	Self-Report		Clinician shows the patient the faces and state, “These faces show how much something can hurt.” Point to the zero picture and state, “This shows no pain.” Point to the 10 picture and state, “this one shows the worst pain experienced.” Then ask the patient, “What face best represents your pain level now?”
Checklist of Nonverbal Pain Indicators (CNPI)	Behavioral Tool	Patients are assessed for the following 1. Vocal complaints, nonverbal 2. Facial grimaces/winces 3. Bracing 4. Restlessness 5. Rubbing 6. Vocal complaints, verbal	The clinician observes the patient for one minute at rest and one minute during movement and the scores are added up
Critical Care Pain Observation Tool (CCPOT)	Behavioral Tool	Facial Expressions, Body Movements, Compliance with ventilator, vocalization, muscle tension	Observe the patient for a minute before selecting a score for each behavior. Used in the Intensive Care Setting.