Chapter 10: Pain assessment and management
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Clinical governance
Healthcare professionals involved in the assessment, administration and continuing care of patients receiving Entonox should have undergone training to do so. To maintain patient safety, healthcare professionals need to understand the properties, applications and prescribing practices for any medicinal product, which includes all medical gases (BOC Healthcare [18]). They should be able to demonstrate knowledge of the properties of the gas, precautions to be taken, actions in the event of an emergency and the correct operating procedures for the equipment. Training should cover:
- physical properties of the medical gas Entonox
- indications for its use
- protocols and policies for safe administration
- known side‐effects and contraindications
- any other safety precautions
- methods of safe operation of the gas.
Training can be supplied by BOC Healthcare or a designated trainer and certificated.
Prescribing of Entonox
In a number of healthcare settings, nurses, midwives and physiotherapists may be able to administer Entonox without a written prescription from a doctor providing there is a local Patient Group Direction to allow this. Where this is the case, Entonox can be used more readily and time is not wasted waiting for a medical prescription. Non‐medical prescribers who have completed the relevant training as independent prescribers may also prescribe Entonox if this is within their area of competence.
