Attitudes and Beliefs of Caregivers in Long-Term Care Institutions

Discussion
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The article focuses on the attitudes and beliefs held by care givers in long-term care institutions pertaining to the administration of pain medications to patients with cognitive impairment. Nurses and physicians are mandated and obligated to provide quality care to all residents in long-term care (LTC) facilities without discrimination or favoritism. They are supposed to use their skills and levels of experience to ensure that all the residents are comfortable. Nonetheless, there are patients (cognitively impaired) in assisted living centers and nursing homes that are in severe pain but lack adequate pain assessment and management because of misconceptions and beliefs harbored by attending nurses and physicians. There are various questions that arise from reading the research article.
The first question entails the current practices pertaining pain management not only in LTC facilities but in the general health care sector. What are the current practices relating to pain management in health care? It is essential to note of the stipulated standards and practices that govern pain assessment and management. Physicians, RNs and RPNs conduct their duties in accordance to some standard practices that have been established by professional bodies such as the American Medical Association. Some of the issues that should be addressed include common chronic pain conditions and legalized medications. It is also essential to learn whether nurses are mandated to diagnose, prescribe and administer pain medications. Similarly, it is worth understanding some of the medications that have been classified as “unfit” by the medical boards and associations.
Secondly, how do physicians, RNs and RPNs in LTCs make deci...