Fran Cartwright on the Importance of Pain Management
Fran Cartwright, PhD, RN-BC, AOCN, Senior Director of Nursing, Oncology Services and Medicine, NYU Langone Medical Center, discusses the importance of understanding the many facets of pain management.
Fran Cartwright, PhD, RN-BC, AOCN, Senior Director of Nursing, Oncology Services and Medicine, NYU Langone Medical Center, discusses the importance of understanding the many facets of pain management.
Cartwright says pain is a complex specialty, and a strong understanding of assessment and evaluation is needed. Oncology nurses, as well as all nurses, are in a pivotal position to partner with their patients in order to establish goals.
Sometimes pain cannot be eliminated, but by working closely with patients and understanding their goals, a plan can be established, Cartwright says. Oncology nurses must understand the basic principles of pain management so that nurses can use a multimodal approach. This approach can result in less opioid usage and less toxicities.
Cartwright notes that at NYU, there is a robust integrative program where nurses can partner with the patient and the healthcare team to help patients to improve their quality of life.
