Long, C. O., & Morgan, B. M. (2008). Pain management: The resource guide for home health & hospice nurses. Baltimore: Hopkins Medical Products.

This is a wonderful book!! I wish I had it many years ago when I was new to home health. However, this book is not only a must-have resource for nurses new to home care or hospice but will surely be indispensable to experienced nurses. The book begins with the competencies of pain knowledge and management using the standards expected of home health and hospice nurses. It makes an irrefutable case for why these nurses must know and understand pain management. The book then describes the assessment of pain and its key elements and impact on function and quality of life. A variety of tips and tools are included. The OASIS items pertaining to pain are integrated throughout the book so that the reader acquires a more accurate understanding of how to accurately address the OASIS questions. A discussion about diagnosing pain and the development of measurable patient-centered goals is followed by a chapter on creating the plan of care. I found this chapter especially useful because it describes pharmacologic management, explains titrating of drugs and transitioning from one drug to another, and contains numerous tables that can be used at a glance. The book contains a lot of information on patient teaching and tools for patient education. Finally, there are scales and tips for evaluating pain management and for measuring outcomes in addition to discharge planning or assisting in a good death. The book concludes with several appendices, tables, and figures that supplement the chapter text. The material appears to be so thorough and comprehensive that this book cannot help but be an integral part of the library of every home health and hospice nurse.

Leslie Neal-Boylan, PhD, RN, CRRN, APRN-BC