Pain and Comfort Management

The PainCare 360 program consults regularly with teams whose patients experience a high incidence of pain due to the nature of their condition(s) and the care they need.

The focus of care is on preventing pain when possible, promoting function and self-management, and addressing pain with multiple approaches.

BC Children's Hospital, in partnership with the BC Women's Hospital's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, is ChildKind-certified. The international designation recognizes our hospitals for excellence in providing pediatric pain care.

The following services contribute to the Pain360 program:

Acute Pain Service

The Acute Pain Service (APS) is a consultative service. A patient's care team will access this service to help manage discomfort when they are admitted to the hospital.

APS provides:

• Planned pain control after major surgery and specialized interventions (patient-controlled analgesia or epidural analgesia)
• Specialized care for specific pain-related medical conditions
• Strategies to wean patients off pain medications and sedation

The team includes anesthesiologists, nurse practitioners, physiotherapists and pharmacists. We also consult with Child Life specialists, psychologists, psychiatrists and social workers.

Complex Pain Service

The specialized Complex Pain Service (CPS) assesses, treats and supports children, youth, and their families who live with and manage complex/chronic pain.

The team provides care through an outpatient clinic and when patients are admitted to the hospital. We focus on improving function, quality of life and self-management.

CPS follows a “3P approach” to care:

• Pharmacology: to decrease pain, improve sleep, enable movement and increase function
• Psychology: to provide mind-body techniques and sleep hygiene, address stressors and support a return to school
• Physiotherapy: to guide physical reconditioning, paced return to activity and recommendations for school adaptations

The team includes nurses, doctors, nurse practitioners, physiotherapists, psychologists, social workers, pharmacists, occupational therapists and counsellors.

Nurse-delivered sedation service

This service supports outpatient procedures by providing medication to address anxiety, pain and mild sedation. Patients can receive sedation delivered by nurses. Overseeing doctors determine assessment and criteria, in line with American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status classifications.

Palliative care

In partnership with Canuck Place, we support children, youth and families who are living with progressive, life-threatening diseases, and the health-care professionals who are caring for them. Find out more on the pediatric serious illness and palliative care page. 

PainCare 360 Knowledge and Practice Centre

The PainCare 360 Centre translates education and knowledge into practice. We support interdisciplinary pediatric clinicians through education, training, quality improvement and research. The program works with local and community partners to improve access, knowledge, practice, equity and accountability for pediatric pain care throughout BC Children's Hospital and the province.

The team includes advance practice nurses, researchers, educators, quality improvement and data specialists, and patient and family advisors.

Referral information

Acute Pain Service

Nurses, providers, allied health and other medical staff can contact the Acute Pain Service at any time for a consultation regarding a current inpatient. Find more information on the acute pain service referral page.

Complex Pain Service

You need a referral from a health-care provider to use this service. Find more information on the complex pain service referral page.

Palliative care

Health-care providers, patients and families can make referrals.

Contact the Canuck Place intake coordinator:

Phone: 604-731-4847
Email: intake@canuckplace.org

For urgent or end-of-life referrals or inquiries, please page the palliative care physician on call at 604-875-2161.