In every nurse's career it will happen that they will care for a person who for whatever reason cannot communicate verbally. The reason can be as broad as dementia or language barriers. One of the biggest challenges this creates is assessing the patient's pain level. In 2001 a group of critical care nurses developed a system that has become widely accepted in many healthcare systems in the United States and Canada. The Adult Nonverbal Pain Scale is an assessment tool that uses five specific categories in assessing pain. However, the accuracy of this system is a matter of debate among healthcare professionals and patient representatives. In this article I will review and compare the various pain assessment methods used by healthcare professionals today. Pain affects everyone; it sends thousands of people into hospitals, clinics and private care providers every day. A primitive alarm system, pain is an unpleasant but important function for survival. In a physiological sense, pain is the sensation of discomfort felt by the sensory nerves (Taber's). Pain can be described in different ways, such as burning, aching, or squeezing. When assessing pain in his patient, the first measure for a nurse would be a question; “are you in pain”? No one will question the fact that this is the most reliable method of assessment, because pain is exclusively subjective in nature. Most schools teach that "pain is present when the patient says it is." However, while everyone experiences pain, no two people experience it the same way. Other factors influence a person's perception of pain. Outside influence is often a consideration when a parent or family member is overly concerned that they may instigate a pain response. A postoperative patient i...... middle of paper ......nal of Biobehavioral Medicine, 62 (4) 517-523D'Arcy, Yovonne (2008) Pain Management Survey Report, Nursing 2008, June 38 ( 6 ), 42-49 Flaherty, Ellen (2008) Using Pain Rating Scales with Older Adults, American Journal of Nursing, June 2008, 108 (6), 40-48 Harkreader, Helen (2000) Fundamentals of Nursing & Clinical Judgment, Philadelphia PA : WB Saunders Co.JACHO Joint Accreditation Commission Health Organization, 2012, Facts about Pain Management. Retrieved from www.jointcommission.org/standards_information/Paddock, Catharine PhD. (2011) Tools that objectively measure ongoing pain. Medical news today. Retrieved from http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/234450.phpSwearingen, Pamela (2004) All In One Care Planning Resource, St. Louis, MO: MosbyTaber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary. 2009 (24) 1026, Pain. FA Davis Co. Philadelphia PA