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Why you should read this article: • To understand that pain in people with dementia is often unrecognised and unrelieved • To increase your knowledge of the causes, effects and presentation of pain in people with dementia • To enhance your awareness of pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions used to manage pain in people with dementia People with dementia commonly experience pain, but it is often unrecognised, unrelieved and remains an underlying issue as the condition progresses. As a result, pain management for people with dementia is inadequate. Community nurses have a fundamental role in the assessment and management of pain and in supporting family carers. This article details the causes and effects of pain in people with dementia, explains the components of a holistic approach to individualised pain assessment, and describes various pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions that can be used to manage pain in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AUTH Why you should read this article: • To understand patients' experience of post-operative pain • To develop an effective method of assessing patients' post-operative pain • To recognise the nurse's role in the management of post-operative pain While post-operative pain is a common and unavoidable consequence of surgery, evidence suggests that the levels of pain experienced by patients are unnecessarily high. In the past two decades, evidence has also indicated that nurses' knowledge of the assessment and effective management of pain is suboptimal. This article considers the elements required for an effective post-operative pain assessment, as well as examining the barriers that result in many patients' post-operative pain not being assessed. The article also provides an overview of the main pain management interventions available to nurses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]