A survey examining nurses' knowledge of pain control

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Pain Management
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Effective pain assessment and management are critical components of quality patient care in acute settings.
• Existing knowledge gaps among nursing staff can impact patient outcomes and adherence to best practices.
• Understanding nurses' knowledge is essential for developing targeted educational interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the knowledge of nursing staff regarding pain assessment and management.
• To identify specific areas of deficiency in pain management knowledge.
• To evaluate the suitability of a survey instrument as an educational tool.

Main Methods:

• A survey was administered to 318 nursing staff members at a Canadian acute care teaching hospital.
• A combined and adapted instrument with true/false questions was used, taking approximately 10 minutes to complete.
• Data analysis focused on overall scores and variations based on educational preparation and years of experience.

Main Results:

• The average knowledge score was 63.9%, indicating substantial gaps in understanding.
• Nurses showed deficits in knowledge related to opioid addiction, equivalent dosing, opioid properties, and acute versus chronic pain distinctions.
• No significant differences in scores were observed based on educational level or years of experience.

Conclusions:

• Nursing staff possess significant knowledge deficits in crucial aspects of pain management, particularly opioid pharmacology and pain type differentiation.
• The developed survey instrument is effective for assessing knowledge and can serve as an educational tool for nursing staff.
• Unit-specific results highlight the instrument's utility in identifying needs and introducing nursing research.