Pain Management at End of Life
Presented by Patty Warring
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This course provides nurses in a variety of settings, including rehabilitation, skilled nursing, long-term care, and home care settings, with information about pain management for patients receiving end-of-life (EOL) care. Good pain control is necessary to enhance quality of life in the terminally ill patient, and families find much comfort in knowing that their loved one is comfortable at EOL. Nurses are often confronted with concerns about addiction to pain medications and must know the differences between addiction, dependence, and tolerance. In this course, we will discuss different types of pain, including visceral, somatic and neuropathic pain, medications, and alternatives for treatment.
Meet your instructor
Patty Warring
Patricia Warring has been a registered nurse since graduating from Missouri Western State College in 1990 with a BSN degree. She earned an MSN from Valparaiso University in the clinical nurse specialist role, adult health. Patricia’s clinical nursing experience includes five years of medical/surgical/oncology in an acute…
Chapters & learning objectives
1. Overview of Pain
This chapter will provide information about pain control in the terminally ill patient. It is known that pain management provides enhanced quality of life for patients as well as their families. The nurse will be able to explain the differences between addiction, dependence, and tolerance in order to overcome the barriers to good pain control.
2. Assessment of Pain
The nurse will recognize the types of pain identified by physical assessment and certainly by patient report. Numeric and facial pain scales will be presented, along with descriptive words, which may be used by the patient to report their pain. “We cannot treat what has not been assessed.” (Patricia A. Warring)
3. Types of Pain and Treatment
This chapter will discuss the three different types of pain – visceral, somatic (nocioceptive), and neuropathic. This is important because treatment differs for each type of pain.
4. Case Studies for Pain Management
Information about the medications commonly used to treat the various pain types will be provided. Not only are medications appropriate for end of life, but alternative/complementary treatments can also be effective in promoting comfort.