Position Statements

A Position Statement is an assertion of the beliefs held, encouraged and supported by ASPMN^®, and adopted in accordance with ASPMN^®‘s bylaws, policies, and procedures. 

It should be recognized that these position statements are recommendations only and are not codified in law or regulations.

• ASPMN^® Position Statements – Position statements are recommendations for a course of action or statement of beliefs that reflects ASPMN^®‘s stance regarding an issue of importance to safe practice, safe care and optimal patient outcomes.

  • Guidelines on Monitoring for Opioid-Induced Sedation and Respiratory Depression: Revisions (Approved June 2019)

  • Pain Assessment in the Patient Unable to Self-Report (Approved: 2019)

  • New: Range Orders in the Management of Pain (Revised November 2023) – This is a joint statement from: American Society for Pain Management Nursing® and American Pain Society (Approved: 2018)

  • Authorized Agent Controlled Analgesia – A position paper with clinical practice guidelines (Approved: August 2013)

  • Pain Management at the End of Life (Revised: October 2017, Originally approved: August 2013)

  • Male Infant Circumcision Pain Management (Revised July 2021)

  • Monitoring for Opioid-Induced Advancing Sedation and Respiratory Depression in Adults (Revised August 2021)

  • Deceptive Use of Placebos in the Assessment and Management of Pain (Revised July 2021)

  • Procedural Pain Management Position Statement (Revised 2022)

  • Registered Nurse Management and Monitoring of Analgesia By Catheter Techniques 
  • Prescribing and Administering Opioid Doses Based Solely on Pain Intensity: Update of a Position Statement by the American Society for Pain Management Nursing (Revised February 2022)

• ASPMN^® Joint Statements – Joint position statements are an assertion of the beliefs held, encouraged and supported but written in collaboration with other external organizations with mutual interest.
  • Pain Management and Substance Use Disorders – This is a joint statement from: American Society for Pain Management Nursing® and International Nurses Society on Addiction (Approved: 2022)
  • "As-Needed Range Orders for Opioid Analgesics in the Management of Pain: A Consensus Statement of the American Society for Pain Management and the American Pain Society – This is a joint statement from: American Society for Pain Management Nursing^® and American Pain Society (Approved: 2018)

• ASPMN^® Supported Statements – Supported position statements are statements written by an external organization with content expertise identifying a course of action or statement of belief. These statements are officially supported by ASPMN^®.
  • ANA The Ethical Responsibility to Manage Pain and the Suffering It Causes

• Archived Position Statements – A position statement is archived when it is deemed to be no longer pertinent or significant to current practice is no longer an assertion of a belief held, encouraged or supported by ASPMN^®; and/or if it is no longer in accordance with ASPMN^® bylaws, strategic plan or code of ethics.

Process for Developing, Submitting and Approving ASPMN Position Statements