The Acute Pain Service Nurse Practitioner: A Case Study in the Postoperative Care of the Child With Bladder Exstrophy

Effective pain management for children requires leadership and effective interdisciplinary collaboration. At the Johns Hopkins Children's Center, a pediatric nurse practitioner–based, anesthesiologist supervised acute pain service model strives to improve the quality of pain management within the institution. A case study describing pain and sedation management of the child following bladder exstrophy repair demonstrates the integral role of the nurse practitioner in the promotion of quality outcomes for this complex patient population.