Pain Management in Cancer Patients
Sarah I. King
Grand Valley State University
Introduction Cancer has quickly become a popular topic of discussion in the global world of healthcare. The World Health Organization (WHO) states that cancer is now the second leading cause of death worldwide and expects the number of new diagnoses to increase by about 70% over the next two decades (WHO, 2017). While researchers all around the world are working towards finding the cures for cancer, it is still vitally important that healthcare providers not lose sight of the needs of cancer patients in the present. The undesirable effects that cancer patients experience are countless, but cancer pain is one of the most common and often one of
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The research indicates that understanding the cause and classification of the patient’s pain provides important information for the nurse’s assessment that they can use to implement a more individualize pain management plan. It is also important for the nurse to understand some of the barriers that prevent a patient from verbalizing their pain. Understanding the intricacies of the patient’s perspective, acknowledging their own barriers when it comes to pain, and fully assessing the patients are ultimately the key the providing the most effective pain management for their cancer patients.
Conclusion
References
Cancer. (n.d.). Retrieved September 17, 2017, from http://www.who/int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs297/3n
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