Why Is Pain Management Important?

Most people have seen at least one person in their life suffering in unbearable pain up to their death, and it’s never something people find joy in. There is nothing pleasing about being in pain or watching someone be in pain. For those people whose pain does not respond to methods of modern medicine, there should be the option of physician-assisted suicide. “Physician-assisted suicide refers to the practice of a physician prescribing or regulating, upon a patient’s informed request, a lethal dose of medication for the purpose of ending that patient’s life” (Lerner). The lethal drugs that are given to the patient by the doctor are administered by the patient themself, not by the doctor, so

There are occasions when medicine is not your friend and the effects of the treatment will only prolong the suffering of the patient. Healthcare professionals must be objective and ask will the end result be changed. We must know when it is appropriate to discuss end of life options and when it is not. According to Adams (2015), most desire to die at home, but less than half are allowed to do so (p. 13). Our responsibility is to allow the client to make an educated decision about all the available service and treatments.

Quill, M.D., the methods of which physicians chose to help a patient die should be of last resort. I too believe that “excellent palliative care should be the standard of care for all dying patients, and no patient should be medically assisted with a hastened death because she is not receiving the standard of care” (Quill, 2012). “No one should choose to die from suffering that could have been relieved if clinicians had the will and expertise” (Quill, 2012) Palliative care is intended to identify most, but not all, causes of suffering at end of life (Quill, 2012). Physicians should have the proper training in providing pain and symptom management before being able to determine if a patient is ready to make the decision to

The first 48 hours of pain analysis and treating the pain of the patient to the hospice (or end-of-life patient in any other stetting) are crucial. However, the patient may be unable to speak and articulate his pain, or may be able to inadequately express the symptoms. One of the major concerns for those who are at the end of life is

Most often when someone approaches the end-of-life, pain management is a priority. The relief of pain is an important ethical duty in health care. However, relieving pain is easier said than done. The myths about opioid addiction and sedation are some of the complicated hurdles for family member to get over. It is the duty of the health care professionals to educate family that pain relief is necessary for the peaceful passing of their loved one. Providers must dismiss any myths and false facts family may have and reassure them that prescribing sedative and narcotics is ethical. As health care professionals we want what is best for our patients and we do not want to do any harm to those who are at the end of their lives. In my opinion, making the patient comfortable and letting them go in peace is the right

As George Santayana says, “Our dignity is not what we do, but what we understand.” Terminally ill patients should have the choice to end their life with dignity, rather than to suffer. Not only do the patients suffer, but so does the family as well. Patients diagnosed with terminal illness have a lot of pain, doctors understand what they go through, and it is the patient's right to choose.

Making decisions for patients are difficult in general, but the decisions for end-of-life is the most challenging because it is tough and it involves family. Although we want to remain the autonomy of the patient, but I can empathize the hardship of the loved ones being able to let go. As a healthcare provider, the reasonable and ethical thing to do is to be completely honest about their condition and prognosis, then assist them to the best of our capabilities. I agree with Gawande (2014) that there is always something we can do. Whether the patient decides to fight the battle or to manage their symptoms to treasure the remaining time, nurses should and will respect their decisions.

“The hardest part of losing a loved one, isn’t having to say goodbye, but rather seeing them suffer from the pain”. Many individuals have not been able to answer the question: should terminally ill patients have the right to end their lives? Terminally ill patients should have a right to end their own lives with dignity rather than suffering from agony, because the pain is unbearable, families watch love one’s die slowly, and patients become extremely depressed.

One may argue that their sufferings can be managed with palliative or hospice care and that PAS is no different than murder. Instead of disagreeing or disapproving of their decision, family member and society in general should try to understand or acknowledge the reason terminally in patients seek PAS. The reason for PAS could be to die with dignity, to end sufferings, or simple because the patient doesn’t want to prolong a life that can’t be. Terminally ill patients have the right to choose the care they want. Their wishes should be respected and reflected on. If there is a better or alternative solution, then health care providers should inform the patient and leave the decision making up to the patient. In the end, it’s their lives. They should get a say. As Brittany Maynard said: “I’m dying, but I am choosing to suffer less. To put myself though less physical and emotional pain and my family as well” (Thoughtfulwomen.org 2014, pp

What is pain? Generally, it is an unpleasant sensory feeling that is triggered by the body's nervous system in response to an adverse affect and is often categorized as acute or chronic. Because of the many different aspects of pain, it varies from each individual. Experiences that may cause pain in one individual may or may not cause pain at the same level which makes this a highly subjective symptom. Previously, medical professionals relied solely on their patients report of pain. However, as time and medicine have evolved, pain has been incorporated into general patient assessments and has further been referred to as the fifth vital sign,

In their article, The problem of pain management: The makers of OxyContin play dirty, from the January 2015 edition of Harper’s magazine, Jonah Campbell and Simon Liem annotate a letter of request from Purdue Pharmaceutical to the Federal Drug Administration. Campbell, who is a research assistant at the McGill University Biomedical Ethics Unit and author of the book Food and Trembling, and Liem, a journalist, argue that Purdue Pharmaceuticals intentions with the letter of withdrawal are only to benefit themselves as a company and that Purdue’s drug formulation of OxyContin does not deter abuse, but the authors fail to back up several of their claims.

Several ethical considerations of death and dying issues such as those addressed by hospice and palliative care services based on the right to die pain-free and with dignity often starts with communicating barriers, poor symptoms management and shared decision-making concerns. (Weisman, 1972). Ethical consideration can often be balanced by creating the best possible care while involving all participants, hospice and palliative care patients that are involved in the sick persons care including: family members, the patients and the caregiver all, should sympathetically work together to acknowledge and communicate end-of-life experience. According to Blendon, Szalay, & Knox, but the dying person must make decision unless they are incompetent. “Palliative care

Joshi, G., & Kehlet, H. (2013). Procedure-specific Pain Management: The Road to Improve Postsurgical Pain Management?. Anesthesiology, 118(4), 780-782.

This evidence is important because they gave their patient medicine to end their life, instead of being in pain. If your loved one was in pain, would you want them to suffer in pain or would you want the pain to go away.”Nearly 70 percent of all deaths in the united states occur in hospitals, nursing homes and hospice facilities”(goodman). This evidence is important because families have had to decide even if they didnt want their family member gone, they didnt want them to suffer in pain.

In 2003, the American Nurses’ Association published a position statement regarding “Pain Management and Control of Distressing Symptoms in Dying Patients.” The organization states: