Possibilities of the nurse’s action in front of the effects of social isolation on the patient with chronic pain: integrative review

Abstract

HIGHLIGHTS • This study reinforced the impact of isolation on patients with chronic pain, which affected functionality and quality of life. • The role of nurses as an integral part of caring for these patients with telehealth was also reinforced. • This research opted for an integrative review in order to get to know the current panorama of nurses’ scientific production on the care of patients with CP. ABSTRACT BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Social isolation, as experienced in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, has triggered psychological and neuropsychiatric problems; these conditions can aggravate chronic pain crises. It is also known that social relationships play an important role in pain and emotions. Chronic pain (CP) is a challenging disease, especially in terms of its multifaceted mechanisms and treatment. Thus, the aim of this study was to provide a better understanding of nurses’ work with patients with CP and the impact of social isolation resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. CONTENTS: This is an integrative review, carried out in the Virtual Health Library (Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde - BVS) and Medline via Pubmed databases of the National Library of Medicine. To select the articles, the following descriptors in health sciences and Medical Subject Headings (DeCS/MeSh) were considered: “Social isolation”, “Chronic pain”, “COVID-19”, “Nursing care” and “Patient care planning”, with their synonyms/alternative terms. A total of 45,703 articles were found; based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 27 articles were selected. This study hoped to answer the following guiding questions: “how do nurses work with individuals with CP during the social isolation caused by COVID-19?”, and “what are the consequences of social isolation for this population due to the COVID-19 pandemic?”. Of the 27 articles, most were published in North America and Europe, and three in Brazil. The population most affected by CP are seniors, women and people on low incomes. In terms of profession, only three of the 27 articles were published by nurses. The data was discussed considering the work of nurses with individuals with CP, especially through telehealth, as well as the impacts that people with CP have suffered from social isolation during the coronavirus pandemic. CONCLUSION: There is a significant gap in the literature regarding the role of nurses with individuals with CP in social isolation, suggesting the need for further studies in this area, mainly at the national level. From the studies found, it was evidenced that individuals who live with CP have the multiple dimensions of the human being affected, but that in this moment of social isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the worst commitment was the emotional one. Thus, with the continued rise of telehealth and the possibility of future pandemics, it is recommended to move the existing guidelines for the formal development of telehealth competencies towards relevant curricular content and clinical experience for all nursing programs.