Data is clear that many children with cancer at the end of life suffer substantially. Treatment was viewed as successful in only 27% of the patients. Pain in children who are dying of cancer can be complex and challenging to manage. Children and parenta are equal partners with members of the health care team in managing the patient's pain. Prevention and alleviation of pain is a primary goal of care in the child dying of cancer. Children dying of cancer may require aggressive dosing of analgesics. Medications that do not have a dose maximum should be escalated, sometimes rapidly, to achieve adequate pain control or to maintain pain control when tolerance has occurred. The nurse' s role in caring for children who are in pain at the end-of-life includes assessment, identifying expected outcomes, and planning, performing, and evaluating interventions.
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