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Nursing’s Role in Cancer Pain Management

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Abstract

Nurses have advanced practice, research, and education in the field of cancer pain management. This paper highlights the contributions nurses have made to pain science and practice through literature published in the past 3 years. Work accomplished by nurses is examined in the areas of pain assessment, pain management, intervention-based research, evidence-based practice, patient education, and palliative care. Nurses serve as advocates for empowering patients to engage in self-management of their pain, and offer education and support to patients and families at their most vulnerable times. Nurse researchers have been at the forefront of work to develop and test new instruments and approaches to measure pain, elucidate pain experiences through quantitative and qualitative methodologies, and gauge the quality of pain care for patients and its impact on their caregivers. This research has uncovered many patient, health care professional, and systemic barriers to effective pain control, and has offered feasible solutions to overcoming these barriers.

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Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: • Of importance •• Of major importance

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Disclosures

Dr. April H. Vallerand has served on the Nurses Advisory Board for Cephalon and on the Speaker’s Bureau for Cephalon and Pfizer & Co. Susan Musto: none. Dr. Rosemary C. Polomano has served on the board for AcelRx Pharmaceutical; and has served as a consultant for, and received honoraria from, King Pharmaceutical, Ortho McNeil Pharmaceutical, Wyeth Pharmaceutical, and Pfizer & Co.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Wayne State University College of Nursing, 5557 Cass Avenue, Cohn Building #364, Detroit, MI, 48202, USA

    April Hazard Vallerand & Susan Musto

  2. University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, 418 Curie Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA

    Rosemary C. Polomano

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  1. April Hazard Vallerand
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  2. Susan Musto
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  3. Rosemary C. Polomano
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Correspondence to April Hazard Vallerand.

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Vallerand, A.H., Musto, S. & Polomano, R.C. Nursing’s Role in Cancer Pain Management. Curr Pain Headache Rep 15, 250–262 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11916-011-0203-5

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