A nurse-run inpatient pain consultation service

As hospitals across the country work to improve pain management in the face of ever-shrinking resources, one challenge that must be addressed is the delineation of specialized pain management services. Although pain management is an interdisciplinary process, nurses are in a unique position to provide leadership in both the organization and delivery of clinical services. This article describes the development and 2-year experience of a nurse-run inpatient pain management consultation service in an academic tertiary care hospital. The structure of the service, and nature and volume of consults is discussed along with recommendations for institutions considering this strategy.