Conference Proceedings - School of Nursing & Midwifery - Trinity ...

School of Nursing & Midwifery, Trinity College Dublin: 8 th Annual Interdisciplinary Research Conference
Transforming Healthcare Through Research, Education & Technology: 7 th – 9 th November 2007
Conference Proceedings
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An Exploration of the Concept of Pain Perception in Elders
with Dementia
Debra A. Hunt, MSN, ARNP-C
Doctoral Student
The University of Central Florida, College of Nursing
Orlando, Florida, USA
Telephone - 352-250-0073
Fax - 352-394-6969 e-mail - dahunt@mail.ucf.edu
Key Words:
Pain, pain perception, dementia, cognitive impairement
AIM: The aim of this paper is to a) describe the concept of pain
perception in elders with dementia; b) apply Morse's Method of
Critical Analysis of the Literature to pain perception in elders with
dementia c) explore the application of the findings to increase the
pragmatic utility of the concept of pain perception in elders with
dementia for further research and concept advancement.
Search and Review Methodology: Morse's method of critical
appraisal of the literature was used. Data was retrieved from
CINHAL, AgeLine, Blackwell Synergy, ERIC, and several online
dictionaries.
Analysis: Data was selected from the fields of nursing, medicine,
psychology, sociology, and philosophy. 2,125 articles were
retrieved, 83 articles were reviewed in depth, and an analysis was
conducted of 46 articles specific to pain perception in the elder
population with dementia.
Summary of Key Findings: The inquiry into the concept of pain
perception revealed some confusion in the context of the cognitively
impaired population and those who care for them. Often, the terms
pain and pain perception were used interchangeably which may add
to the confusion. An interdisciplinary understanding of the concept
of pain perception in elders with dementia is essential in order to
guide the research and identify strategies to provide comfort to all
who experience pain, regardless of their cognitive status.
Conclusion: Concept analysis of the perception of pain in elders
with dementia is necessary to clarify the confusion that ensued as a
result of the phenomena of the "parallel concept" of pain perception
in various disciplines. In order to understand and advance the
concept in the context of dementia, it is essential to merge the most
coherent commonalities from each discipline in order to expand the
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