Implementation of the American Pain Society Quality Assurance Standards for Relief of Acute Pain and Cancer Pain in oncology nursing practice.

Cancer pain represents a high-incidence problem that requires ongoing monitoring and evaluation. The recently published American Pain Society Quality Assurance Standards for Relief of Acute Pain and Cancer Pain provides an excellent basis for developing a quality assurance (QA) program in cancer pain assessment and management. These standards contain five critical areas for monitoring and evaluation related to cancer pain. The purpose of this article is to provide a useful framework for oncology nurses to develop a QA program in cancer pain assessment and management. The Oncology Nursing Society Position Paper on Cancer Pain and the American Nurses Association/Oncology Nursing Society Standards of Oncology Nursing Practice are incorporated into the framework to develop specific monitoring criteria. Practical suggestions are provided for implementing a QA program on cancer pain in a variety of oncology practice settings, using the standards of the American Pain Society.