Pain management nursing : official journal of the American Society of Pain Management Nurses
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Assessing Practice Patterns and Influential Factors for Nurse Practitioners Who Manage Chronic Pain.
Challenges exist in caring for chronic pain patients, such as preventing opioid-related adverse events, a lack of available non-pharmacologic alternatives, and limitations in prescriptive authority. Nurse practitioners are well-suited to manage chronic pain due to their holistic approach to care and growing numbers in primary care. Yet little is known about the chronic pain care given by NPs. As such, the purpose of this study was to understand the experiences of NPs who manage chronic pain, and to examine how these experiences impact NP prescribing patterns in chronic pain management. ⋯ Our findings demonstrate significant challenges NPs face in chronic pain management. More research is needed to better understand the complexities associated with chronic pain care given by NPs in order to effectively manage chronic pain while still preventing opioid-related adverse events.
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Falls and fall-induced injuries in elderly people are common worldwide. However, few reports have examined the association between body pain and fall in middle-aged and older Chinese adults. The objective of this study is to access the association between pain and fall among middle-aged and older Chinese. ⋯ Body pain is significantly associated with fall among middle-aged and older Chinese adults. Appropriate pain management programs and policies are needed in fall prevention.
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To explore which factors influence opioid analgesia use in older women during the 48-hour period after hospital discharge following initial breast cancer surgery. ⋯ The majority of this sample of older women with early-stage breast cancer experienced adequate pain relief after surgery and required little or no postoperative or postdischarge opioid analgesia. Optimization of the pain control experience for older women with breast cancer requires thorough pain assessment from diagnosis through survivorship through the end of life. This can be achieved by equipping women in this population to advocate for their pain control needs in real time. Future studies that elucidate preferences, beliefs, and current pain control practices before, during, and after breast cancer surgery will improve safety and efficacy of pain control for this fast-growing population.
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Conducting an adequate pain assessment in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) is multifactorial and complex due to the diversity of the population. It is critical that validated pain assessment methods are used appropriately and consistently to aid in evaluation of pain and pain management interventions. ⋯ The use of an algorithm supported the ability of PICU nurses to critically consider and choose the pain assessment method most appropriate for the patient's condition. The algorithm promotes nursing clinical judgement, prioritizes pain management, and includes patients receiving sedation. The algorithm supports a comprehensive pain assessment in a difficult pediatric patient population. Future research is needed to strengthen and standardize the usage of terms "assume pain present" and "assume pain managed," and to also improve the overall feasibility and effectiveness of the algorithm.
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Pain is a common health problem in undergraduate students. Pain prevalence, pain management strategies and knowledge among healthcare groups has not been revealed yet. ⋯ Education regarding pain management should be developed that considers differences among disciplines. Additionally, poor pain management knowledge could affect the quality of care students provide to patients after graduation. Enhancing pain management knowledge by providing suitable pain management education in universities may contribute to better pain management for students, and this may translate to their work in clinical settings.