Pain Management at End of Life: What, Why, How?

Pain is the symptom most feared by many patients with a terminal condition. According to the World Health Organization, pain management at the end of life is the right of the patient and the duty of the clinician. However, studies have shown that many patients suffer from untreated pain at the end of life. The inability to effectively treat pain often results from lack of clinician training in pain and symptom management, as well as fear of violating ethical, legal and professional standards in the administration of pain management at the end of life. This course will increase clinicians’ knowledge, skills, ability and comfort when caring for the dying patient in an interculturally diverse population.

Target Audience

Physicians, Physician Assistants, Nurses, Nurse Practitioners, Nursing Students, Pharmacists, Medical Students, and other interested healthcare professionals.

Learning Objectives

  • Define the legal and ethical differences between euthanasia, physician assisted-suicide, and natural death.
  • Explain how the Principle of Double Effect provides ethical consensus in the standard treatment of pain at the end of life. 
  • Differentiate between the classifications of analgesics, their indications and side-effects and determine the most effective route of medication administration for end of life pain management.
  • Adhere to professional and regulatory standards of care for appropriate pain management when caring for the patient at end of life.
Additional information
Bibliography: 
  • Jackson, V. & Nabati, L. (2019). Ethical consideration in effective pain management at the end of life. Retrieved from https://www.uptodate.com/contents/ethical-considerations-in-effective-pain-management-at-the-end-of-life
  • Coyne, P., Mulvenon, C., & Paice, J. A. (2018). American Society for Pain Management Nursing and Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association Position Statement: Pain Management at the End of Life. Pain management nursing : official journal of the American Society of Pain Management Nurses, 19(1), 3-7. doi:10.1016/j.pmn.2017.10.019
  • Finnerup, N. B. (2019). Nonnarcotic Methods of Pain Management. The New England journal of medicine, 380(25), 2440-2448. doi:10.1056/NEJMra1807061
Course summary
Available credit: 
  • 1.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
  • 1.00 Florida Board of Nursing
  • 1.00 Nurse Practitioners
  • 1.00 Florida Board of Pharmacy
  • 1.25 General certificate of attendance
Course opens: 
09/01/2019
Course expires: 
08/31/2022

Brenda Daniels, M.D.
Palliative Medicine Physician
Baptist Health South Florida

Rose Allen, DNP, MSM/HM, R.N., CHPN
Director, Bioethics Program
Baptist Health South Florida

Brenda Daniels, M.D., and Rose Allen, DNP, MSM/HM, R.N., CHPN, indicated that neither they nor their spouses/partners have relevant financial relationships with commercial interest companies, and they will not include off-label or unapproved product usage in their presentation or discussion.

Non-faculty contributors and others involved in the planning, development and editing/review of the content have no relevant financial relationships to disclose.

Disclosure Policy and Disclaimer

Baptist Health South Florida is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. Baptist Health has been re-surveyed by the ACCME and awarded Commendation for 6 years as a provider of CME for physicians.
              
Baptist Health South Florida designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Available Credit

  • 1.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
  • 1.00 Florida Board of Nursing
  • 1.00 Nurse Practitioners
  • 1.00 Florida Board of Pharmacy
  • 1.25 General certificate of attendance

Accreditation Period

Course opens: 
09/01/2019
Course expires: 
08/31/2022
Please login or register to take this course.

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