Contextual Factors Impacting a Pain Management Intervention.

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Healthcare Management
• Patient Satisfaction

Background:

• Patient satisfaction with pain management is crucial for quality healthcare.
• Previous studies indicated positive outcomes from pain management interventions.
• The impact of environmental factors on intervention effectiveness requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To replicate preliminary findings on patient and nursing satisfaction with a pain management intervention in a new setting.
• To assess the influence of contextual factors on the intervention's effectiveness.
• To evaluate the intervention's impact on patient satisfaction with nursing staff's pain management.

Main Methods:

• Prospective, experimental design with six monthly assessments.
• Data collected from 540 patients and nurses across eight medical-surgical and progressive care units.
• Intervention included script-based communication, white boards, and hourly rounding; patient satisfaction assessed via HCAHPS survey.

Main Results:

• Patient satisfaction scores for pain control significantly increased and were sustained over time.
• Nurses reported high satisfaction with the intervention and its implementation.
• Unit bed capacity and patient discharge rates negatively impacted satisfaction; hospital length of stay positively impacted it.

Conclusions:

• The pain management intervention effectively improved patient satisfaction with nursing care, even amidst challenging contextual variables.
• Examining the practice environment is essential when evaluating healthcare interventions.
• Simple, consistent nurse-patient communication regarding pain positively influences satisfaction and outcomes.