Managing Cancer-Related Pain in Critical Care Settings

Pain is a common symptom experienced by individuals who are in treatment for cancer and becomes more prevalent for those with more advanced stages of malignancy. Critical care nurses are essential in the management of cancer-related pain, which is a challenging problem when individuals who have a cancer diagnosis are admitted to the intensive care unit for emergent conditions. Regular, thorough, and patient-appropriate assessments by experienced critical care nurses guide selection of treatment modalities, including pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic techniques. In addition, existential pain necessitates spiritual care intervention, and involvement of other appropriate interdisciplinary team members can result in improved management of all types of pain experienced by critically ill individuals with cancer.