CHALLENGES IN PAIN MANAGEMENT - 2025/6

Module Overview

The module will focus on the principles of pain assessment considering the validity and reliability of pain assessment tools and will include pain assessment of people with cognitive impairment and learning disabilities. Students will be introduced to theories of pain that will inform multidimensional pain assessment and interventions for pain including pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches. Pharmacological principles and drug interactions will also be explored. Students will be encouraged to critically evaluate their practice and to use evidence based methods to develop practice.

Module provider

School of Health Sciences

Module Leader

DOPSON Amy (Health Sci.)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 7

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 2

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

N/A

Module content

                   

Indicative content includes:

• 
  History of pain
  


• 
  Physiology of pain
  


• 
  Multi-dimensional aspects of pain
  


• 
  Psychological and socio-cultural approaches
  


• 
  Pain prevention strategies
  


• 
  Pain assessment strategies
  


• 
  Pharmacokinetic principles
  


• 
  Opioid and non-opioid drugs
  


• 
  Complex pain syndromes, eg phantom limb pain, referred pain
  


• 
  Implement pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches
  


• 
  Barriers to pain management
  

• 
  Evaluation of pain management
  

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

N/A

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate their ability to relate theory of pain to clinical practice with patients suffering from pain.

 

Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:

 

• 
  A critical reflection and appraisal of pain management practice using a case study approach. (3000 Words)
  

• 
  Students will prepare and give a short presentation of a patient case study including an assessment of the patient’s pain to prepare them for the summative assessment.
  

Module aims

• Critically evaluate pain assessment skills and implement effective strategies to prevent, and manage patients' pain

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to:

Enable students to develop holistic approaches to pain management using a bio-psycho-social approach to pain management.

 

The learning and teaching methods include:

 

• 
  Lectures and discussion
  


• 
  Experiential group work and discussion
  


• 
  Case presentations
  

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: NURM108

Programmes this module appears in

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2025/6 academic year.