Pain Management in the Oncology Patient

pain is the usual cause for persons to look for treatment. Inadequate pain management can cause delay in healing process. It can also leads to prolonged hospital stay. The acute pain management theory describe how nurse can manage pain with minimal effects from the pharmacological interventions and use of alternative methods of pain management (Good &Moore, 1996) The main factors are in the management of pain are Pharmacological, non-pharmacological, patient participation, education and different interventions. Effective pain management involves the application of non-pharmacological interventions and usage of pain medications. (McEwen & Willis, 2014). The pain management theory deals with management of pain in daily basis. It offers the knowledge about alternate methods in pain

There are many concepts in nursing theory that need further clarification. A concept analysis can provide a thorough explanation of a term in nursing theory that will help healthcare professionals better communicate. The Walker and Avant approach to perform a concept analysis was specifically formulated with nurses in mind (McEwen & Wills, 2014). Walker and Avant proposed a concept analysis be used to further understand the meaning of a term or concept in anticipation that those using the term would have the same understanding (McEwen & Wills, 2014). When a term or concept is in question or needs further questioning in any field of nursing, a concept analysis is indicated (McEwen & Wills, 2014). Walker and Avant’s concept analysis is comprised of eight steps; select a concept, determine the aim of the concept, list all possible uses of concept, defining attributes, model case, alterative case (borderline, related, contrary, invented, and illegitimate), list antecedents and consequences, and lastly list empirical referents (McEwen & Wills, 2014). The defining attributes are deemed most beneficial in obtaining comprehension due to the fact that these attributes show which show up in regularity when relating to the concept (Linda & Judith, 2011). Using the Walker and Avant concept analysis model a formal concept analysis will be performed on the term “pain”. Middle range nursing theory gave the example of pain as one of many concepts used in nursing (McEwen & Wills, 2014).

Conceptual analysis is integral in understanding nursing theory. According to Walker and Avant (1995), concept analysis allows nursing scholars to examine the attributes or characteristics of a concept. It can be used to evaluate a nursing theory and allows for examination of concepts for relevance and fit within the theory. The phenomena of pain will be discussed in this paper and how it relates to the comfort theory.

Appropriate assessment and management of pain should be paramount to nurses working in the elderly care sector.

JCAHO (2011) also stated that patients and their families needed to be educated about pain and how the patients’ pain is going to be managed. Every patient perceives and exhibits pain in a different manner and if nurses do not assess the patient thoroughly they can miss it. For instance, Engebretson et al. (2006) acknowledged that, patients manifest pain in different ways and this resulted in nurses performing an inadequate assessment of their patients’ pain. Also, Engebretson et al. recognized that patients often conceal their pain because they do not want to be viewed by staff as complainers or addicts, and if patients decide to speak up the nurses frequently view their patients’ statements from their own cultural, moral and ethical belief system and not their patients which leaves the patients’ pain untreated.

Pain is one of the most common reasons people consult a physician, yet it is frequently inappropriately treated [St Stauver JL, 2013]. To deal with this dilemma, nurse practitioners can play an important role on the pain care team, particularly as primary care clinicians spend less time with patients and are increasingly reluctant to provide care for pain patients. As frontline providers, they can take the time to perform a thorough patient assessment and physical examination and follow through with pain treatment, while also playing an essential role in patient education and assessing and monitoring the patient’s opioid risk. Their primary goal is to develop a therapeutic relationship with patients, providing the time and space for patients to tell their pain story [Hughes, 2013], which they then can communicate to the rest of the team and which forms the basis for all subsequent decisions about treatment.

According to The World Health Organisation (1999), defined pain as an unpleasant sensory or emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage. Pain is traditionally described as acute or chronic pain. The prevalence of chronic pain (CP) is higher than of acute of pain, as it affects 7.8 million people of all ages in the UK (Chronic Pain Policy Coalition., 2006). The current leading cause of mortality that is accounting for 60% of all deaths is due to chronic diseases and is also a problem as causes an increasing burden on the health care service (World Health Organisation., 2007). CP can affect a person’s quality of life if managed poorly, statistics shows that 25% of people lose their job and 22% leads to depression. (Chronic Pain Policy Coalition.,

This paper will examine the the nurses and pain assessment in the hospitalized patient. The paper will focus on pain and pain management and the need to assess pain. How much percentage of the population in the U.S. are experienced pain, and how much of the population abuse the pain medications. There are many barriers which hinder nurses from perform accurate pain assessment. These barriers are nurses experience, competence, perception and manipulation. Pain is subjective, but pain assessment tools and nurses’ perception may contraindicate with what the patients stated. Thus, the paper will try to find solution to accurate pain assessment during hospitalization, especially with abuse of opioid.

Nursing assessment is a substantial way of gathering physiological, psychological, spiritual, and emotional condition of the patient. It creates a whole picture of an individual and assist the health care providers to formulate a diagnosis. Assessing the comfort of the patient is equally important as taking the blood pressure or temperature. Pain is the fifth (5th) vital sign that is subjective in nature when performing an assessment of a patient. Various studies were conducted in finding the most appropriate evidence-based nursing practice in assessing and managing the pain of a cognitively impaired patient, whether it is acute or chronic or the underlying cause is cancer or post-operative incision. As emphasized by Song, Eaton, Gordon, Hoyle, and Doorenbos (2015), it is vital to ensure that “pain management is based on the best evidence” (p. 456). Perhaps knowing the causes of inability to assess and manage the pain in a cognitively impaired patient would give a clearer understanding of the practice.

The National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) has conducted a series of studies that involved several groups of individuals who suffered from chronic conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and pain, as well as behavioral issues. These studies have also included transitional care; especially post-surgical care for the elderly. A report titled “Changing Practice, Changing Lives” that was published by the NINR and the National Institute of Health (NIH) includes a list of ten landmark nursing studies (Web. ninr.nih.gov, 2016). These studies were primarily focused on educating the population on how to cope with different health issues, and especially how to manage

The content for the educational strategy can vary depending on the group, individual and the learning needs of each. While the overall aim is to reduce rates of worsened pain through accurate documentation, some nurses may benefit from in-depth

To provide the best care for their elderly patients, nurses must incorporate pain assessment into their daily care of patients. Pain assessment is a key aspect of the nurse’s role. There are many factors to consider when assessing patients’ pain such as if they are verbal or non-verbal, what language they speak, their age and their cultural background. There are many tools that a nurse can use to assess a patient’s pain but one of the most common tools is the 0-10 scale. This tool can be asked verbally by asking what

Healthcare workers, especially nurses, have for ultimate goal to provide the best care possible for patients. Caring for patients does not only include making sure that they are safe and well-taking care of but it also requires for nurses to act as patients’ advocate and ensure that the best methods are used to provide care. Nurses contribute to ensuring that the patients are as comfortable as possible and help prevent or reduce pain as much as they can (Dearholt.& Dang, 2012, p. 12P). People have a different reaction to pain. For some patients being pain-free might be one their ultimate goal while they are in the hospital and if a nurse can help achieve that goal that will significantly contribute in making the

Provision of pain relief is a shared responsibility of the interdisciplinary health care team. For example it may initially form part of the oncologist’s remit to determine the most effective pain management plan for the patient. After treatment has been initiated, oncology nurses may then adopt responsibility for ensuring that pain relief is adequate via regular assessment and action (NICE, 2004, p.80).

This article has been subject to double-blind review. july 4/vol15/no42/2001 nursing standard 39 art&scienceresearch methods nursing standard: clinical · research · education conducted, and any specific queries raised. Data analysis was inductive, as the study sought to promote understanding of individual perceptions, not prove a preconceived theory. Codes were, therefore, generated from the data, rather than predetermined. Although literature-based codes can provide a useful tool, they can impede the development of new ideas