title: Optimizing perioperative pain management.
abstract: All nurses, regardless of specialty or practice setting, must provide effective measures to relieve their patients' pain. Uncontrolled pain can result in negative consequences, such as impaired cardiac functioning and neuroplastic changes in the spine and brain. This article discusses the problem of uncontrolled pain and perioperative nurses' role in relieving pain, including assessing pain and providing pharmacological and nonpharmacological relief.
authors.affiliation: Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Mass., USA.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Arnstein
mesh_terms: D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004282:Documentation; D005568:Forms and Records Control; D006801:Humans; D010146:Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000451:nursing*; D059408:Pain Management; D010147:Pain Measurement; D013527:Perioperative Nursing / Q000379:methods; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics