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Nurses' knowledge, attitudes, and practices: regarding children's pain
1University of Michigan, School of Nursing, Ann Arbor, USA. cvvince@umich.edu
Summary
Nurses generally know how to relieve children's pain but underestimate pain levels and opioid risks. Insufficient physician orders are the main barrier, leading to under-administration of analgesics.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nursing
- Pain Management
- Clinical Pharmacy
Background:
- Effective pain management in children is crucial for recovery and well-being.
- Nurses play a vital role in assessing and managing pediatric pain.
- Understanding nurses' perspectives on pain management is essential for improving care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess nurses' knowledge and attitudes regarding pediatric pain relief.
- To identify perceived barriers to optimal pain management in children.
- To analyze analgesics administered by nurses in relation to children's reported pain levels.
Main Methods:
- Survey data collected from 67 nurses and 132 children.
- Utilized validated surveys for nurses' knowledge, attitudes, and perceived barriers.
- Measured children's pain intensity using the Oucher scale and analyzed administered analgesia.
Main Results:
- Most nurses showed positive attitudes but lacked knowledge on respiratory depression and over-reporting of pain.
- 99% of nurses identified inadequate physician orders as the primary barrier.
- Children's mean pain was 1.63/5; 74% received analgesia, with nurses administering suboptimal doses of available medication.
Conclusions:
- Nurses require enhanced awareness of analgesic adequacy and the validity of children's self-reported pain.
- Relying solely on behavioral cues for pain assessment in children is insufficient.
- Further education on opioid-induced respiratory depression in children is necessary.