Utilizing critical thinking and the nursing process, the student is expected to:
1. Define pain and examine pain classification, function, and characteristics
2. Describe the mechanisms of pain and pain modulation
3. Explore psychocultural factors affecting the pain experience and health care providers’ responses to persons in pain
4. Evaluate the importance of subjective and objective signs as indicators of a patient’s pain
5. Discuss the elements of a pain assessment and describe the use of pain rating scales
6. Identify relevant prioritized nursing diagnoses and an associated nursing plan of care to address physical, psychosocial, cultural, and learning needs of patients experiencing pain
7. Identify patient and family centered goals and outcomes that facilitate health promotion, maintenance, and restoration.
8. Utilize evidence based practice to prioritize, implement, and evaluate nursing interventions related to:
a. Non-pharmacological measures for pain relief
b. Non-opioid and opioid analgesic medications
c. Patient teaching
d. Safe use of pain management strategies
9. Identify ways to collaborate with the interdisciplinary health care team when providing patient-centered care including during local or global health events.
10. Describe legal and ethical considerations including service excellence and nursing peer review.
11. Identify complementary medicine options and quality improvement initiatives including civility and just culture.
1. Review module objectives.
2. Learning Resources:
Harding, M. M., Kwong, J., Hagler, D., and Reinisch, C. (2023). Lewis’s Medical-surgical nursing: Assessment and management of clinical problems (12th edition). Elsevier Inc.
Chapter 9 Pain, pp. 119-145
Potter, P. A., Perry, A. G., Stockert, P. A., Hall, A. M., & Ostendorf, W. R. (2025). Fundamentals of nursing (12th ed.). Elsevier.
Chapter 44 Pain Management, pp. 1141-1181 (Skip Skill 44.1, Patient -Controlled Analgesia).
3. Complete Critical Thinking Exercises:
4. Supplemental Learning:
See Bb
5. Review module objectives and check for knowledge gaps.
6. Go to the Evolve website and review the module content and practice questions.