title: A European survey of oncology nurse breakthrough cancer pain practices.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Breakthrough cancer pain (BTCP) is a prevalent type of pain in which the nurse can play an important role in improving patients' pain symptoms and overall well-being. Nurses' experience with BTCP (number of patients, and estimates of severity and frequency), the treatment of BTCP (pharmacological and nonpharmacological treatments normally used), ratings of the importance of treatment factors, and reasons given for not advising patients to take strong painkillers are presented in the present paper.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nurses from 12 European countries, who cared for patients with cancer, took part in a survey. In total 1618 nurses were recruited and 1241 completed the survey questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Almost 90% of the nurses were female, and 50.4% had >9 years of experience in oncology nursing. The majority of the nurses (47%) said that a patient typically suffered from BTCP 2-3 times a day, and the severity of the pain for the patients was described as severe by 75.5%. In all, 38.4% of the nurses were unaware that medications specifically intended for treatment of BTCP exist, and 57% reported that oral opioids were normally prescribed for BTCP at their workplace. While 38% said they did not use nonpharmacological treatments for BTCP, the most common treatment approach was positional change (used by 76.6%). The treatment varied between the European countries.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients do not receive the appropriate medical treatment for their BTCP. Nurses need better training about BTCP in general, and BTCP assessment and management specifically.
authors: Division of Emergencies and Critical Care, Department of Research and Development, Ullevål, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway. tone.rustoen@rr-research.no
authors: Tone
authors: T
authors: Rustøen
authors: Jenske I
authors: JI
authors: Geerling
authors: Theodora
authors: T
authors: Pappa
authors: Carina
authors: C
authors: Rundström
authors: Isolde
authors: I
authors: Weisse
authors: Sian C
authors: SC
authors: Williams
authors: Bostjan
authors: B
authors: Zavratnik
authors: Ulf E
authors: UE
authors: Kongsgaard
authors: Yvonne
authors: Y
authors: Wengström
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D059390:Breakthrough Pain / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000451:nursing*; D015984:Causality; D015897:Comorbidity; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000451:nursing*; D009859:Oncology Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D059408:Pain Management / Q000451:nursing*; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult