NUR169 - Pain Management at Life's End (2.0 HR)

Purpose: The purpose of this course is to integrate recently published pain management evidence into clinical practice and care for the terminally ill. Objectives: 1. Discuss the historical background information in the understanding of end-of-life pain management. 2. Apply current evidence-based knowledge of physical, psychological, social, and spiritual realms to assessing and managing pain at the end of life. 3. Describe the patient’s right to appropriate pain assessment and management. 4. Explain the different types of acute, recurrent, and chronic pain in terms of mechanisms, assessment, and management. 5. Describe and demonstrate regular evidence-based pain assessment and care planning that includes the components of the impact of pain. 6. Outline the recommendations for assessing pain in terminally ill patients. 7. Identify barriers to effective pain assessment and management at end of life. 8. Describe facilitators to effective pain assessment and management at end of life. 9. Recognize individuals at risk for under-treatment of their pain (e.g., neonates, cognitively impaired, individuals unable to self-report their pain). 10. Discuss the current pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments for pain management at the end of life. Identify and provide for a range of basic physical and psychological comfort measures (e.g., distraction, positioning, education) to decrease the patient’s pain and/or suffering. 11. Discuss and apply current knowledge of prescribed analgesics and evaluate their effects on the patient’s pain and function. 12. Describe the ethical standards of the professional organizations and regulatory bodies.