Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia
Corso di laurea in infermieristica - Sede di Modena
| Thesis Title | Pain: classification, evaluation and management. How to alleviate suffering with pharmacological and not pharmacological techniques |
|---|---|
| Name | Burani Martina |
| Supervisor(s) | Monti Cinzia |
| Academic Year | 2019/20 |
| Thesis type | Non research thesis |
Abstract
The main goal of the present thesis is focusing on how to treat patients’ pain. The initial part of this thesis provides a general definition of pain and briefly illustrates the pathophysiological mechanisms behind the nociceptive stimulus. Pain is then classified according to the type of pain and its underlying causes. Next, this thesis highlights how to evaluate the patient’s chronic pain and how to locate it. Another important aspect of this study deals with the pain assessment method. As a matter of fact, an overview of the most common pain assessment tools used in health care is provided, so that a more comprehensive assessment is fully performed. There are different strategies whose aim is to alleviate the patient’s suffering, and include pharmacological and non-pharmacological techniques, the effectiveness of which is documented in the literature. The nurse plays an important role in the recognition, assessment and management of the patient’s pain, and this because nurses are the health workers who establish a supportive relationship with patients. This is well-documented in the Code of Ethics of Nurses, in particolar Article 18: “The Nurse prevents, detects and documents the patient’s pain during the course of treatment. It works, applying good practices for the management of pain and related symptoms, in accordance with the will of the person”.