ABSTRACT
Alleviating and relieving pain is fundamental to nursing care. Nurses therefore should understand:
n physiological and psychological processes of pain; n how to assess pain; n how to control pain.
Nurses should be familiar with indications, contraindications, usual doses, preparation, benefits and adverse effects of drugs they use. Much literature on pain management focuses on pharmacology, and specific information can be found in manufacturers’ Summaries of Product Characteristics (SPCs) and pharmacopoeias (e.g. British National Formulary (BNF)), both of which should be available in all clinical areas. This chapter discusses some drugs, but focuses mainly on mechanisms and assessment of pain.
