Concept Analysis of Pain in the Nurse Practitioner Role- Theoretical Applications and Model Case Name: Definition/Explanation Of The Selected Nursing Concept: Pain

Pain is an unpleasant sensory or emotional stimulus that arises from actual or potential damage to tissues (Liyew et al., 2020). According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, pain is “a localized or generalized unpleasant bodily sensation or complex of sensations that causes mild to severe physical discomfort and emotional distress and typically results from bodily disorder (such as injury or disease).”  It is the most common nursing diagnosis and the most frequent presenting complaint about patients seeking medical help. Pain can be classified according to various criteria depending on presentation or causes. However, classification based on duration to acute or chronic is the most clinically significant and determines interventions. While there is no universal consensus on acute or chronic pain, and definitions tend to overlap, several theories define acute pain as lasting for less than 30 days and chronic pain as pain lasting for more than six months. However, the most critical classification of chronic pain is pain that has lingered for more than the expected healing period. Nurses are strategically placed to hear the often painful experiences of patients and advise physicians on the need for pain management interventions. Therefore, improving pain assessment, management, and communication knowledge between patients, nurses, and other healthcare providers is vital for effective pain management (Liyew et al., 2020).

Three Defining Attributes

Defining attributes of pain refers to the characteristics associated with pain. Usually, more than one attribute is linked to a concept for analysis. Stilwell et al. (2021) compared four theoretical and empirical pieces of evidence to attributes of suffering according to Cassell to frame attributes of pain-related suffering. The attributes of pain include (i) unpleasant experiences that arise from physical sensations which have both positive and negative perceptions of the individual, (ii) it is an individual human experience, and (iii) it is a feeling that has behavioural, emotional and sensational components. Pain is subjective, and therefore, patient perception is critical when discussing it with patients (Narain, 2021). Nurses and other care providers need to consider this when defining pain.

Antecedent And Consequence Of The Concept: Pain

Antecedents refer to incidents preceding the concept. They may be environmental, individual, or cultural antecedents that modify or are related to pain as a concept. These antecedents interplay to modify pain as a stimulus or how it is perceived. Environmental factors may trigger pain. Personal factors include body and mind, and these are affected by pain. Consequently, pain causes tissue damage or threatens to cause it. Personal knowledge and attitudes towards pain influence individuals’ coping mechanisms to deal with pain. Personal issues such as physical and emotional status, gender, personality traits, and socioeconomic status influence pain. Emotional status, like stress levels or anxiety levels, will modify the ease of feeling pain, while personality influences pain perception. Positive attitudes toward pain influence the choice of methods to deal with pain. People in different socioeconomic classes express pain differently. Cultural values determine how individuals interpret and react to pain. These antecedents have a consequence on this concept.

These consequences manifest in the interpretation of pain and the subsequent reaction to pain. Pain reaction manifests as pain behaviour, which can be voluntary or involuntary responses. Involuntary responses are subconscious reactions usually mediated by the autonomic nervous system. They include changes in heart rate and various reflex reactions. Voluntary responses are under conscious control, involve motor activity, and include verbal and nonverbal reactions like complaints and positional changes. Another consequence is that persons experiencing pain may derive meaning from their experiences with pain. These meanings could be positive or negative and directly influence the choice of coping.

One Antecedent Of Compassion

Pain affects the immediate family or primary support system accessible to the patients. This is directly influenced by the culture within which the person experiencing pain resides. Culture shapes the perception of pain, and compassion for the pain experienced by the person is drawn from this perception. The family, for example, plays a critical role in influencing the responses to pain.

One Consequence Of Compassion

Feelings of compassion will influence voluntary responses to pain. Individuals will choose to complain or cry about their pain, express their pain in different non-verbal ways, or avoid expressing it altogether, dependi