Pain management nursing : official journal of the American Society of Pain Management Nurses
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Better understanding of how Hispanic older adults describe their chronic pain might suggest ways to support Hispanic older adults to talk about important pain information with their practitioner. The study aim was to describe how Hispanic older adults communicate pain information, including the amount of pain information and communication processes employed. A secondary analysis with a descriptive design was used. ⋯ Participants described a mean of 5.5 (SD 3.39) items of pain information. The majority stayed on topic, and one-half spoke clearly and explicitly. Hispanic older adults with osteoarthritis pain concisely describe clinically important pain information when given the opportunity to do so.
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Opioid use has increased significantly over the past ten years and so has the incidence of reportable adverse events, such as respiratory depression and/or arrest. It is important for nurses to understand and know how to assess patients for risk factors for respiratory depression secondary to opioid therapy. This paper presents the pharmacodynamics of opioids, the risk factors for excessive respiratory depression, recommendations for identifying patients at high risk, and interventions to prevent adverse effects. After reading this paper, nurses will have the knowledge to provide safe administration of opioid medications for the management of acute pain.
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There is a lack of studies describing how critical care nurses experience assessing and treating pain in patients receiving postoperative care in an intensive care unit (ICU). The aim of this study was to describe those experiences. Qualitative personal interviews with six critical care nurses in an ICU in northern Sweden were conducted during 2009. ⋯ The work of assessing and treating pain in patients receiving postoperative care is an important and frequent task for critical care nurses, and knowledge in the field is essential if the patients are to receive optimal nursing care and treatment. Patients cared for in an ICU might benefit from nonpharmacologic treatment. Being without pain after surgery implies increased well-being and shorter hospitalization for the patient.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Nondrug therapies for pain management among rural older adults.
This quasiexperimental two-group pilot study tested an intervention aimed at educating older adults in rural communities about the appropriate use of nondrug treatments for pain. Earlier data reveal that older adults use significantly less nonpharmacologic modalities than their younger counterparts, and that pain self-treatment is prevalent in rural areas. Individuals aged ≥60 years who experienced pain in the preceding 2 weeks were recruited from rural Midwestern communities through the use of flyers and information sessions at hospitals, churches, and community organizations. ⋯ Hot and cold packs and relaxation breathing instruction were provided for use over the 2-week period. There was a significant increase in the use of all nondrug treatments and a decrease in pain-related distress and current pain scores in the experimental group compared with the control group. This study informs nurses and other health care providers on the value of education for use of nondrug therapies in conjunction with pharmacologic pain management among rural older adults.
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The American Society for Pain Management Nursing (ASPMN) has developed a position statement and clinical practice recommendations related to procedural preparation and comfort management. Procedures potentially produce pain and anxiety, both of which should be assessed and addressed before the procedure begins. This position statement refers to "comfort management" as incorporating the management of pain, anxiety, and any other discomforts that may occur with procedures. ⋯ Furthermore, ASPMN does not condone procedures being performed without the implementation of planned comfort assessment and management. In addition to outlining this position with supporting evidence, this paper reviews the ethical considerations regarding procedural comfort management and provides recommendations for nonpharmacologic and pharmacologic management during all phases of the procedure. An appendix provides a summary of this position statement and clinical practice recommendations.