Medsurg nursing : official journal of the Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses
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Nurses have a key role in detection of delirium, yet this condition remains under recognized and poorly managed. The aim of this study was to explore nurses' knowledge of delirium-related information as well as their perception of their level of knowledge.
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Patients with substance abuse history make up 14% of inpatient admissions to acute care units, where it has been reported a great deal of patient pain is unrelieved (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration [SAMHSA], 2009. Definitions of substance abuse terms including tolerance, dependence, addiction, and pseudoaddiction are essential to a nurse's understanding of pain medication administration in patients with substance abuse history. Pain management is one of the nurse's main responsibilities, and using the principles of autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice can guide the nurse to making appropriate pain management decisions for and with these patients. Nursing implications and resources for more information are discussed.