Pain: A Concept Analysis
Pain is a complex and multidimensional phenomenon that is subjective and unique to each individual. Pain is difficult to describe and often hard to measure; however, most healthcare professionals agree that pain is whatever the patient describes it to be. Pain is one of the most frequently used nursing diagnosis and is the most common problem for which patients in the clinical setting seek help (Cheng, Foster, & Huang, 2003). Unrelieved pain can have a profound impact on the lives of both the patient and his or her family members. The subjective nature of pain makes pain difficult to assess; therefore, many patients do not receive adequate relief. The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), has recognized pain as a “major, yet largely avoidable, public health problem” (JCAHO, 1999, para. 1) for which the organization has “developed standards that create new expectations for the assessment and management of pain in accredited......
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Approximate Word Count: 1969
Approximate Pages: 8 (260 words per double-spaced page) |