NURS 7610 Acute and Chronic Pain Science and Practice
This inter-professional course focuses on the bio-psychosocial aspects of pain and pain management from the perspectives of individual pain care, scientific discoveries, evidence-based practice and cross-disciplinary learning. Content includes an overview of neurobiology of pain, psychosocial aspects of pain perception, pain assessment and outcomes measurement, pharmacological and nonpharmacological approaches to the treatment of acute and chronic pain syndromes, national health pain policies, evidence-based guidelines, and inter-professional care delivery models. Peripheral and central modulation of pain, neuroanatomical pathways, neurochemical mediators, and genetics are examined as the basis for explaining pain perception, behaviors, and responses to treatments. Pain assessment and management for vulnerable populations are addressed along with strategies to reduce pain treatment disparities. Several acute and chronic (persistent) pain syndromes are discussed across the continuum of care. Current research findings and evidence-based guidelines, applied to inter-professional collaboration and clinical decision-making to promote optimal care and outcomes for persons experiencing pain.