KEY MESSAGES

• Everyone, regardless of income, race, gender, age, status or geographic location, should have access to effective pain management
• Pain management should be delivered with an individualized, balanced approach, utilizing interdisciplinary methods – pain management is not one-size-fits-all and it is often a combination of therapies that achieves the best results
• Appropriate education and training on pain management issues and treatment is vital for nurses who are often the most effective patient advocates
• Patients, families, employers, colleagues and the public at large need education regarding the dramatic impact pain can have on a person’s ability to have a productive life and that there are a variety of effective ways to help manage pain
• Elected officials share a responsibility to make sure that the workforce for the U.S. health care system is adequately educated and that funding is made available to address the nursing shortage