Pain Management in Nursing Practice

Book excerpt: Pain is a challenging area to understand for any healthcare professional, and quality training on the subject is required if nurses are to provide effective pain management and person-centred care. Based on the curriculum developed by the International Association for the Study of Pain, this book offers an essential guide to managing pain. Beginning with an examination of the biology of pain, it then goes on to consider pain management across the life course, looking at key topics including acute pain, cancer pain and pharmacology. Case scenarios are included throughout the book to help readers apply the knowledge they have learned to their own practice. This book is aimed primarily at meeting the learning needs of undergraduate nurses, and is essential reading for all healthcare professionals studying pain. The text will be helpful as a basic foundation for more advanced postgraduate courses in pain management in nursing practice.