Nurse coaching to explore and modify patient attitudinal barriers interfering with effective cancer pain management.
OBJECTIVE
To describe a complex coaching intervention to help patients with cancer pain explore beliefs and attitudinal barriers interfering with pain management. Patients were coached to explore beliefs about pain, communications about pain management, and the use of analgesics and nonpharmacologic interventions.


METHODS
Published journal articles, abstracts, and psychology textbooks.


RESULTS
Personal beliefs, related attitudinal barriers, and associated behaviors impede patient adherence to and success with pain management treatments. Interventions targeting beliefs help patients overcome attitudinal barriers, improve treatment adherence, and obtain better pain relief.


CONCLUSIONS
Coaching patients to explore beliefs reduces ineffective behaviors and improves pain treatment adherence.


CONCLUSIONS
A coaching intervention incorporating assessment of patient beliefs promotes self-management, self-efficacy, and adherence to pain management treatment plans. Advanced practice nurses should consider incorporating this intervention into their communications with patients experiencing cancer pain.
Fahey
Kathleen F
KF
Palliative Care, El Camino Hospital in Mountain View, CA, USA. kathleen_fahey@sbcglobal.net
Rao
Stephen M
SM
Douglas
Marilyn K
MK
Thomas
Mary L
ML
Elliott
Janette E
JE
Miaskowski
Christine
C
D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000451:nursing* / Q000523:psychology; D009859:Oncology Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology* / Q000451:nursing* / Q000523:psychology; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000379:methods