Pain management nursing : official journal of the American Society of Pain Management Nurses
-
Nonprofessional caregivers frequently experience barriers to using analgesics for pain in patients in home hospice settings, and patients in pain may suffer needlessly. For example, caregiver adherence to the administration of analgesics is lower for as-needed (PRN) regimens than for standard around-the-clock regimens. But little is known about the barriers caregivers experience and the effects of those barriers. ⋯ Caregivers adhered to PRN analgesic regimens approximately 51% of the time. Higher caregiver adherence to PRN analgesic regimens was associated with lower patient pain intensity and higher patient QoL, but not, surprisingly, with barriers to pain management. Longitudinal studies are now needed to identify factors besides caregiver barriers that may unduly lower caregiver adherence to PRN analgesic regimens.
-
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a chronic breathing disorder that contributes to many other health problems (Epstein et al., 2009). It is present but undiagnosed in a large percentage of the population (Adesanya, Lee, Grilich, & Joshi, 2010). Pain is recognized as a public health problem in the United States, affecting millions of people of all ages (Committee on Advancing Pain Research, Care, and Education Board on Health Sciences Policy, 2011). ⋯ Opioid analgesics used to treat pain may cause sedation and respiratory depression by themselves. When administered to individuals with OSA, the risk for harmful respiratory events increases. This article reviews the assessment and monitoring needed to administer opioids safely to individuals with OSA and identifies best practices from a review of the literature.
-
Individuals with sickle cell disease (SCD) have reported being stigmatized when they seek care for pain. Nurse attitudes contribute to stigmatization and may affect patients' response to sickle cell cues, care-seeking, and ultimately patient outcomes. ⋯ No significant differences were noted in attitudes by worksite, with nurses from both sites demonstrating high levels of negative attitudes toward patients with SCD. Findings suggest that nurses from both worksites need additional education about SCD and care of this vulnerable, patient population.
-
Pain following cardiac intervention in children is a common, but complex phenomenon. Identifying and reporting pain is the responsibility of the nursing staff, who are the primary caregivers and spend the most time with the patients. Inadequately managed pain in children may lead to multiple short- and long-term adverse effects. ⋯ In first (asymptomatic) and second (symptomatic) case scenarios, 78.6% and 59.5% underestimated pain, respectively. Knowledge and attitudes regarding pain and its management is poor among nurses. Targeted training sessions and repeated reinforcement sessions are essential for holistic patient care.
-
Pain is the most common reason for presentation to the emergency department (ED). On presentation patients expect rapid pain relief, yet this is often not met. Despite extensive improvements in analgesia medication there are still barriers to nurses' assessment, management, documentation, and reassessment of pain. ⋯ This research suggested that nurses would benefit from ongoing education on the usage of opioids. Nurses' attitude regarding patients' right to expect total pain relief as a consequence of treatment was also an issue. ED nurses, by virtue of their role, are in a unique position to be leaders in pain assessment and pain management.