Complexity of Pain, Nurses' Knowledge, and Treatment Options

The complexity of pain requires nurses to conduct in-depth assessments, be knowledgeable about influential factors (ie, age, culture, health status), and treat pain with the least harmful and most beneficial interventions. The monotherapy use of analgesics, the fifth vital sign, and a 1-dimensional scale have fallen short of satisfactory results. Pain is the most frequent reason individuals seek health care and cost billions of dollars. Nurses are pivotal in the management of pain. Nurses who are knowledgeable about pain and pain management improve patient outcomes and patient satisfaction scores. Research results indicate the need to advance nurses' knowledge in pain management through various educational offerings.