Common Medications and Therapies for Pain course for Nurses

This session describes the most common pharmacological and non-pharmacological methods used in the management of pain, including how these medications are used, contraindications and side-effects.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session you will be able to:

• Explain how common analgesics work
• Identify common side-effects of medications used to treat pain
• Identify appropriate analgesia for different severities of pain
• Recognize contraindications to medications given for pain
• Identify when to use non-pharmacological techniques to manage pain

The management of pain involves a multidimensional approach using a combination of pharmacological and non-pharmacological methods. It is important to consider diagnosis, treat physical and emotional elements and titrate pain management to individual patients.