Pain and the Quality of Life - Essay Example

PAIN AND THE QUALITY OF LIFEThe study chosen was done with data results from five pain clinics. It was realized that many patients were having breakthrough pain that was noncancer in origin. The primary diagnosis’ involved were back pain, musculoskeletal pain, head pain and complex regional pain syndrome (Taylor, Webster, Chun, Reinking, Stegman, Shoemaker, & Fortner, 2007). Breakthrough pain is defined by Taylor et.al, (2007) as a transient flare in pain rising to moderate and then severe in intensity.

This happens when the baseline pain is controlled. Pain affects quality of life in many ways. Some of those according to the study are: 33% are restricted from strenuous activity but are ambulatory and able to work; 47% are ambulatory but are able to work; 7% are capable of only limited self-care and confined to bed or chair greater than 50% of their waking hours and the other 7% are always in pain. When a patient has pain they have mood changes, are often enable to interact with other people, are sometimes unable to practice their religion, have a loss of enjoyment in life, are unable to sleep at night, and often have financial problems.

As can be seen by these effects, pain definitely affects a person’s quality of life. This is important to nursing and nursing students and nursing research because it affects everything our patients do. We know from reading this study how much of the lives of our patients are spent dealing with the pain. This affects their ability to learn from us, keep track of their medicines and treatments and have activity in their lives. Without the pain in control, it appears much of their lives are not in control.

It is also important to nursing research in the fact that we are tasked with finding ways to help our patients manage that. In conclusion. Pain affects every aspect of our patient’s lives and this study helps us understand that. It is also important to the continued research necessary for nursing in finding ways to improve pain control in our patients. Nursing students must understand to help them understand how to respond to a patient in pain. They must learn for example that when a patient is having breakthrough pain is not the time to try to teach them how to draw up insulin.

ReferenceTaylor, D., Webster, L., Chun, S., Reinking, J., Stegman, M., Shoemaker, S., Fortner, B. (2007). Impact of breakthrough pain on quality of life in patients with chronic noncancer pain; patient perceptions and effect of treatment with oral transmucosal fentanyl citrate. American Academy of Pain Medicine 8(3) 281-- 288. Available at http://www.cinahl.com