Membership
APS Member Spotlight
Featured in the February 2011 Issue of ENews
Paul Arnstein, PhD RN FAAN
Clinical Nurse Specialist for Pain Relief
Massachusetts General Hospital
What is your area of specialty?
Pain Management Nursing
What initially sparked your interest in working in your field? Briefly describe your career path.
My first day on the job as a registered nurse, I observed an experienced nurse telling a distraught mother, "The demerol is not due for another 90 minutes; there's nothing we can do for your baby's pain." I found that calming the mother and teaching her to use simple massage and breathing and relaxation techniques helped them both find comfort during analgesic gaps. That experience laid the foundation for my first research study on the use of "parent–coached relaxation" and a career focused on improving the comfort, functioning, and quality of life for people of all ages. Focusing on pain relief as a clinician, educator, researcher, and consultant prepared me well for my current role at Massachusetts General Hospital where I help both patients and professionals safely and effectively alleviate pain.
What has been a highlight of your work? Perhaps you and your staff are proud of a certain project or accomplishment.
I had the opportunity to work with many valued colleagues to establish Pain Management as a recognized specialty within nursing. This involved helping to write the foundational core curriculum; scope and standards of practice; appoint test item writers and a team to develop certification preparation materials. Given the outstanding resources developed by the community of pain management nursing, there was an identified need for all nursing students and novices to have a concise reference on pain. In response to that need, I wrote a pocket guide, Clinical Coach for Effective Pain Management, that covers a broad range of patient populations, assessment techniques, pain relief options, clinical tools, and trustworthy resources.
Is there a particular challenge that you've either overcome or hope to address soon?
I believe that people should not live or die with uncontrolled pain because of outdated or mistaken beliefs about pain and its treatment. Towards that end, I am actively involved in disseminating evidence-based guidelines, while aiding in the development of automated decision-support tools to promote and monitor the use of these best practices.
Who is your favorite role model—and why?
There are so many extraordinary leaders and role models in our field it is difficult to choose just one "favorite." Early in my career though, Margo McCaffery stood out because she spoke up on behalf of patients' and the nurses' perspectives. Now their input is routinely sought to guide treatment decisions and define best practices.
How has membership in APS been of value to you and your professional development?
Involvement with professional organizations like APS expanded my professional network and knowledge base exponentially. When clinical challenges arise in daily practice, the guidelines, listserves, and other APS resources facilitate problem solving. Beyond those day-to-day benefits, being a member of APS allowed me to serve on expert panels, provided support for research/librarylications, and helped me form lasting friendships.
