Pain management: a regulatory issue.

Pain is a significant public health issue in the United States, and pain management has serious implications for the regulation of healthcare professionals. Pain management is recognized as important and integral to the practice of nursing. This article describes the legal and regulatory framework for pain management and identifies 4 specific regulatory issues. The public protection responsibility of boards of nursing is complicated by the need to appropriately concentrate on investigative, educational, and disciplinary work of the boards while not interfering with safe, effective pain management nursing care. Proactive board functions are suggested to support boards in maintaining this balance.