Nurses struggle to manage pain in opioid-addicted patients at home
A new study reveals that nurses treating opioid-addicted patients in home settings face a critical gap: guidelines don't match patient needs, and team communication often breaks down. The findings matter to healthcare systems and insurers because poor pain management drives costly hospital readmissions and undermines efforts to integrate addiction care into primary settings.
Originaltitel: Home care for patients with opioid use disorders: A qualitative study of registered nurses' experiences of pain management
<p>Aim</p><p>To explore registered nurses' experiences with pain management in patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) in home care.</p><p>Design</p><p>Qualitative explorative-descriptive design.</p><p>Methods</p><p>Data were collected via nine individual semi-structured interviews with registered nurses working in home care meeting patients with OUD. Data were analysed using systematic text condensation.</p><p>Results</p><p>Three categories were identified: Reciprocity in relationships and a professional approach enhance pain management; Discrepancies between guidelines, patient-reported pain and RNs' observations challenge pain management; and Interprofessional collaboration makes or breaks pain management.</p>