Pain Management Learning Library
Patients with cancer are frequently afflicted with chronic and severe pain. Nurses must advocate for effective pain management inclusive of pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic strategies. Pain management can be particularly challenging because of the opioid crisis in the US. ONS is committed to helping nurses and APNs in practice effectively assess, prevent, and manage cancer pain. Included here are resources to inform and support your practice given the current climate around opioid use.
Podcast
Webinars
ONS Articles
Oncology Nursing Forum articles:
Barriers for Nurses Providing Cancer Pain Management: A Qualitative Systematic Review
A Descriptive Survey Study of Patient Needs and Preferences for Cancer Pain Self-Management Support (2022)
Framing Cancer Survivors' Access to and Use and Disposal of Prescribed Opioids Within the Opioid Epidemic (2022)
Racial Differences in Pain Management for Patients Receiving Hospice Care (2020)
Improving the Pain Experience for Hospitalized Patients with Cancer (2019)
Addressing Cancer Pain Inequities Through Intervention
Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing articles:
Breakthrough Cancer Pain: What Outpatient Oncology Nurses Need to Know (2022)
Prevalence of Opioid Misuse Risk in Patients with Cancer (2022)
Naloxone Training: An Opportunity for Oncology Nurses to Save Lives (2022)
Using the Oncology Care Model to Manage Cancer Pain at an Outpatient Oncology Clinic (2022)
Pain Management Revisited (2021)
Sickle Cell Disease: Considerations for Acute Pain Management in the Hematology-Oncology Ambulatory Setting (2021)
Foot Reflexology; An Intervention for Pain and Nausea Among Inpatients with Cancer
Music Intervention: Nonpharmacologic Method to Reduce Pain and Anxiety in Adult Patients Undergoing Bone Marrow Procedures (2021)
Pain: Common Side Effects (2021)
Opioid Misuse Risk: Implementing Screening Protocols in an Ambulatory Oncology Clinic (2020)
Opioid Misuse: An Organizational Response While Managing Cancer-Related Pain
Radiation Therapy Pain Management: Prevalence of Symptoms and Effectiveness of Treatment Options
ONS Voice articles:
Music Therapy May Bridge Race-Related Gaps in Cancer Pain Management
Latest CDC Clinical Practice Guideline Facilitates Safe Use of Opioids for Pain (2023)
What the Evidence Says About Tai Chi in Cancer Care (2023)
New SIO-ASCO Guideline Identifies Integrative Care Recommendations for Cancer-Related Pain (2022)
Nurses Use Innovation to Perform Symptom and Pain Assessments (July 12, 2022)
CMS's Chronic Pain Experience Journey Map Will Help Patients and Providers (July 2022)
Mrs. Jones Gave Me the 'Ah-Ha' Moment That Guided My Entire Nursing Career (May 2022)
How One Organization Developed Tools to Predict Opioid Use Disorder Among Patients (Sept 2021)
What the Evidence Says About Guided Imagery in Oncologic Care (Jan 2021)
Opioids Can Be Used Safely for Cancer-Related Pain (Sept 2020)
How to Prevent Opioid Misuse While Effectively Managing Cancer Pain (May 2020)
What does the Evidence Say About Reiki for Cancer? (Nov 2019)
Opioids Have Been a Healthcare Concern Since the 1980s, but Here’s How Nurses Can Help
Symptom Interventions
The following links include evidence-based recommendations for interventions to manage different types of pain in patients with cancer.