A silent epidemic: community nursing and effective pain management

Abstract

Effective pain management presents challenges to health care practitioners, particularly in the community setting. This is evident from the complexities associated with the phenomenon of pain and the circumstances for those patients suffering from pain. An overwhelming amount of literature and research surrounding pain exists in an effort to improve our understanding of pain, assessment and management strategies. But patients in pain are not managed well in the community or acute setting. Health care professionals continue to underestimate and under treat pain, failing to meet the patient's individual needs. Pain management it is not about cure, nor is it as simple as reporting zero on a pain score- it is about knowledge, expertise and understanding. Pain is a subjective and very personal experience, wherein health care professionals must listen to the patients' story. Myths and fears surrounding pain remains a barrier to effective management and care. This article aims to dispel the myths and improve clinical practice, particularly in effective pain assessment so patients in the community presenting with pain can be managed individually and effectively. Nurses need to be proactive in their approach, through effective communication and decision making, trusting in our patients' and their pain experience. This is key to a successful approach to managing patients' pain effectively.

The State of the Evidence about the Family and Community Nurse: A Systematic Review

“…In addition, FCNs provide tertiary health care, supporting patients, families, and communities in illness management in different clinical settings, such as vascular disease management [ 65 ], psoriasis and eczema [ 18 , 66 ], fibromyalgia [ 67 ], arthritis [ 68 , 69 ], and chronic pain [ 70 , 71 ]. Review results have demonstrated how FCNs face challenges in the entire community in tertiary health care, especially for particular and fragile categories [ 72 , 73 , 74 ].…”

An Analysis of Italian Nurses’ Approach to Patients’ Pain: A Nationwide Online Survey

“…Among European countries, Italy ranks first in the clinical use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and at the bottom for opiate use [ 13 ]. Despite the existence of evidence-based guidelines for the appropriate management of pain, many patients still suffer from inadequate pain treatment [ 14 , 15 ]. Cultural barriers negatively affect the management of pain [ 14 ]; these barriers include the educational training of healthcare professionals, including physicians and nurses, and correct patient information [ 16 ].…”

“…Despite the existence of evidence-based guidelines for the appropriate management of pain, many patients still suffer from inadequate pain treatment [ 14 , 15 ]. Cultural barriers negatively affect the management of pain [ 14 ]; these barriers include the educational training of healthcare professionals, including physicians and nurses, and correct patient information [ 16 ]. Healthcare providers also play a fundamental role in the initial evaluation of pain, the short-term control of pain, the analgesic effect of treatment, long-term follow-up, and the satisfaction of patients suffering from pain [ 17 ].…”

The Family and Community Nurses Cultural Model in the Times of the COVID Outbreak: A Focused Ethnographic Study

“…The involvement of FCNs in health promotion, including primary, secondary and tertiary prevention, has been widely reported in the recent literature [10]. Concerning the prevention of long-term disabilities, FCNs support patients, families and communities in disease management, such as vascular and neurological issues [55,56], diabetes [57], chronic heart failure [58] and chronic pain management [59,60]. Through prompt detection, the FCN can ensure that the health problems of older citizens with long-term and chronic conditions are treated early, fostering complication management and hospital avoidance [61].…”