Catherine Coolidge, APRN, RN-BC, a provider at PainCare in Somersworth, recently received her board certification in pain management through the American Nurses Credentialing Center, a subsidiary of the American Nurses Association. To be eligible for this certification, one must have an active RN license in the U.S., have practiced nursing related to pain management for at least 2,000 hours in the 3 years prior to the exam, and have completed 30 hours of continuing education in those same 3 years, 15 of which need to be pain management-related. Having worked at PainCare for the past 6 years, Catherine easily met all of the requirements.
Being board certified in pain management stresses the importance of this specialty field. Chronic pain is one of the leading health concerns facing our nation today. It is often misunderstood, under treated and overly criticized by society and healthcare. Catherine believes that, “many healthcare providers are not trained well in treating chronic pain. Concerns about addiction and diversion often leads to fear and the under treatment of pain. I think being educated more in pain management would help alleviate some of those fears/concerns. Pain management is not all about pain medications. It is also about taking a holistic view - utilizing traditional medicine, alternative therapies, interventional therapies and counseling. I have been working in pain management for almost 6 years and although I felt that I had a good understanding of pain management, getting certified just makes it official and validates what we do as a specialty group.”
Owner and CEO of PainCare, Dr. Michael J. O’Connell, and the rest of the providers and staff at PainCare, would like to congratulate Catherine on her success. Her dedication to PainCare and to the field of pain management over the years has not gone unnoticed. PainCare is dedicated exclusively to treating all types of pain, and has 6 convenient locations throughout New Hampshire.
