This program has been approved for 6 hours by the Commission on Case Manager Certification for 2007, 2008, 2009, 1/15/10 through 12/31/10, 2011, and 2012. This program has been approved for 4 hours for 2013.
The purpose of this course is to help nurses — who spend more time with patients with pain than any other members of the healthcare team — to assume an active role in the team approach to pain assessment and management. After studying this course, you will be able to:
- Understand the dimensions of suffering associated with under- and untreated pain and the other negative consequences of under- and untreated pain
- Describe activities involved in implementing Joint Commission standards for pain management
- Discuss the myths and misconceptions related to pain assessment and treatment
- Describe pain assessment techniques, including pain assessment tools and the pain flow sheet
- Describe the use of analgesics for pain management
- Discuss the use of the equianalgesia chart for pain management
- Describe four nonpharmacologic pain relief measures
