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Nurses' assessment of pain intensity and choice of analgesic dose
Margo McCaffery
Appointee, World Health Organization Expert Committee on Cancer Pain Relief and Active Supportive Care
Betty R Ferrell
Associate Research Scientist, City of Hope National Medical Centre, Duarte, California, United States of America
Abstract
Under-treatment of all types of pain has been identified in many countries throughout the world. For example, the World Health Organization states that unrelieved cancer pain is an international problem. Lack of education of health care professionals, including nurses, is frequently cited as a major reason for under-treatment of pain. This survey of 517 Australian nurses suggests that they have some of the same educational needs as nurses in North America, such as how to assess pain intensity and how to select a dose of an opioid analgesic that is appropriate for the individual patient.
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