How does the opioid crisis impact pain relief
Replies
Manage Discussion Entry
Chronic pain or something that a lot of people deal with on a daily basis. Chronic pain is dealt with in many
different ways including: analgesics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication, and different types of
therapies such as distraction techniques etc. With this certain scenario it's very close to real life. A lot of
doctors and providers are attempting to avoid the use of analgesic type medications for different types of pain
including chronic pain. although this can be a tough situation for the patient as well as the health care providers
caring for the patient, there are a couple different things that you can do to help.
The first intervention that we would discuss and work towards is discussing the patient' pain as a whole, as well
as discussing past medications and techniques that helped with pain. By doing this it helps for us to build a
better rapport with the patient, as well as let them give their input onto what was good care for them and what
was not. This helps us get a game plan together and how well we're going to be able to take care of the patient
and what may or may not work to start with when caring for this patient. Regardless of what we truly will leave
where to not be judgmental of the patient. This is a good place to start with the patient when discussing the
pain.
The next thing that's important in this patient's care is assessing whether or not they have any psychiatric type
problems associated with the chronic pain. Oftentimes patients with chronic pain have issues with their mental
health as well related to the fact that they cannot perform activities of daily life as well as they used to be able
to because of the pain that they're in. assessing this and being able to control and maintain a positive mental
health status is important for these patients and health throughout the rest of their stay in the hospital, as well
as their life. chronic pain has been known to cause a lot of issues with mental health, and this is why we must
keep a close eye on people with chronic pain and make sure to continue to assess for any anxiety, depression,
suicidal ideation, etc related to their chronic pain that they are experiencing. If there are issues with this type of
situation within the healthcare of a chronically pained patient we can provide services that assist them with the
anxiety and depression that they are experiencing, as well as understand that this could be related to the pain
that they are in.
Throughout the process of the changeover from analgesic medication with the use of opioids to the non-opioid
using pain management, we would work with non-pharmacological interventions for this patient. In the previous
paragraph we discussed hell we could discuss with the patient what they believe would be the best option for
pain management related to not using opioid pain medications. Starting out with stuff like distraction
techniques, as well as different things like massage, music, etc. It is important to know that these types of
interventions go best with enforcing pain management using different types of medications such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories. By using these types of techniques that helps to take the patient's mind off of the
pain that they are experiencing. These types of distraction techniques could also help prevent what was
discussed before which was anxiety and depression associated with the chronic pain that they are
experiencing.
When it comes to medication administration, as well as non-pharmacological interventions, as well as
education for these patients a few different people can be involved. Medication administration is typically a
nursing skill which would be performed by an RN or LPN depending on the route of administration as well as
the scope of practice for the state. Non-pharmacological interventions such as distraction techniques, as well
as massage can be done by assistive personnel, as well as nursing staff, as well as providers. Education about
pain management is typically something my provider would do with the patient one-on-one in regards to
medication treatment. Non-pharmacological interventions is something that nursing staff can educate patients
about.The department where I work now the providers print education for each page and upon discharge. This
patient information is sent with the patients, as well as reinforced by the provider prior to discharge. This
information is also placed into the clinical summary within the chart, and/or EMAR.
So as discussed throughout this discussion this patient is going from possibly being dependent on opioid pain
medications, which could cause withdrawal symptoms. We need to be able to monitor for these signs and
symptoms to be able to better assist this patient with the coping of their pain management. Assisting this
patient with non opioid pain medication treatment for her chronic pain is something that nursing staff as well as
providers, and assistive personnel, as well as possibly even physical therapists can assist with. The
multidisciplinary team is going to work together to try to help this patient further their pain management. It is
important for the hospital to be able to offer non-pharmacological options for the patients, especially if opioids
5/29/2020 Order 319849912
https://admin.writerbay.com/orders_available?subcom=detailed&id=319849912 3/4
are not preferred or not indicated for their treatment. A problem we will run into is the fact that this patient has
been using opioids for a time now and assessing for withdrawal signs and symptoms is very important. Pain
management is also an option of this patient when it comes to their chronic pain as an outpatient treatment.
Lakota Cummings
Reference
Ladwig, G. B., Ackley, B. J., Makic, M. B., Martinez-Kratz, M. R., & Zanotti, M. (2020). Mosby's guide to nursing
diagnosis. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier.
Joint Commission. (2019, July 26). Pain Management. Retrieved May 28, 2020, from
https://www.jointcommission.org/en/standards/standard-faqs/hospital-and-hospital-clinics/provision-of-caretreatment-and-services-pc/000002165/
ERIN R GUTHRIE
7:10pmMay 28 at 7:10pm
Manage Discussion Entry
This patient is a 55 year old female with complex chronic back pain. Upon admission, a comprehensive pain
assessment will be obtained. An initial pain assessment including location of pain, intensity, numeric rating
scale, quality of pain, aggravating/alleviating factors, and the effect of pain on quality of life, will be
documented. (Hinkle & Cheever, 2018). Using this information will give a better knowledge of the the patient's
baseline at this time. Reassessment of pain on a regular basis will show how effective the implemented
interventions are. After the initial assessment, pain management goals can be established. These goals should
be measurable and realistic according to Joint Commission.
Another intervention that I think would be useful is educating the patient on keeping a pain diary. The diary
should include things like pain ratings, timing, precipitating events, medications and treatments. This will give a
clearer picture of what works and what doesn't for this patient. Systematic tracking can help to develop a plan
of care.
I think it would be useful to utilize more supplemental therapies for this patient. This will hopefully decrease or
discontinue the use of opioids. Supplemental therapies include non-pharmacological things like acupuncture,
chiropractic care, massage, heat/cold applications, meditation and focused imagery. Some non-opioid
pharmacological treatments that can be used are anticonvulsants, antidepressants and local anesthetics. The
combination of these things may reduce the need for opioid medications that the patient has been on.
Education is important for this patient. Educating her on the importance of following her plan of care is key.
Knowing the side effects and risk factors of medications, and safe uses, storage and disposal are also
important. All of these factors together will enable her to succeed in her pain management journey all while
following Joint Commission guidelines.
Chronic Pain Nursing Interventions and Rationales. Nursing Care Plans, Nursing Diagnosis.
https://nursingcare-blog.blogspot.com/2015/12/chronic-pain-nursing-interventions-and.html.
Hinkle, J. L., & Cheever, K. H. (2018). chapter 12. In Brunner & Suddarth's textbook of medical-surgical
nursing(pp. 230–250). essay, Wolters Kluwer.
Sample Solution