Dr. Vallerand has had a long-standing interest in symptom management, particularly pain in patients facing life threatening diseases. Her program of research focuses on the maintenance and improvement of functional status in patients with chronic pain. The proposed study extends Dr. Vallerand's previous work into the community setting. The design of the study allows her to develop new research skills in working with a complex design and a large data set. The role of perceived control over pain is intriguing to this investigator. Information from this study will help determine the importance of this concept to nurses, patients, and caregivers. Developing interventions to increase the perception of control, such as allowing the patient to choose from the many treatment modalities available for chronic pain, may increase this perception and enhance adherence to the treatment plan. The overall goal of this study is to determine the effect of programs of structured educational interventions directed at nurses, and at patients and their caregivers, on the management of pain and opioid-related symptoms in home care patients with cancer. The investigator has considerable experience educating nurses about the pharmacologic management of pain and promoting optimal functional status in patients with chronic pain. Although a number of educational programs have been presented regarding pain management, mastery of this content and its utilization in practice by nurses has not been achieved. This study will test the effects of a two-session educational intervention administered to nurses, combined with a patient/caregiver educational intervention in a mixed methods 2 x 2 (nurse intervention x patient/caregiver intervention) multilevel longitudinal design. The effects of the nurse intervention, the patient/caregiver intervention, and the joint effects of both interventions on the nurse's, patient's, and caregiver's perceived control over pain and on patient outcomes, including pain, symptom distress, and analgesic usage, will be measured. Dr. Vallerand is an Assistant Professor in the Area of Adult Health and Administration. Dr. Stephen Cavanagh is the Assistant Dean for the Area. Dr. Ada Jacox, Associate Dean for the College of Nursing will assist the candidate in her research career development.
| Vallerand, April Hazard; Saunders, Mitzi M; Anthony, Maureen (2007) Perceptions of control over pain by patients with cancer and their caregivers. Pain Manag Nurs 8:55-63 |
| Vallerand, April Hazard; Collins-Bohler, Deborah; Templin, Thomas et al. (2007) Knowledge of and barriers to pain management in caregivers of cancer patients receiving homecare. Cancer Nurs 30:31-7 |
| Vallerand, April Hazard; Anthony, Maureen; Saunders, Mitzi M (2005) Home care nurses' perceptions of control over cancer pain. Home Healthc Nurse 23:647-52 |
| Vallerand, April Hazard; Riley-Doucet, Cheryl; Hasenau, Susan M et al. (2004) Improving cancer pain management by homecare nurses. Oncol Nurs Forum 31:809-16 |
