Barriers to Pediatric Pain Management: A Brief Report of Results from a Multisite Study

Michelle L Czarnecki1, Andrea Guastello2, Helen N Turner3

  • 1Jane B. Pettit Pain and Headache Center, Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Insights

Nurses face significant barriers to effective pediatric pain management, including insufficient physician orders and time constraints. These challenges are consistent across U.S. pediatric hospitals, highlighting a need for systemic solutions.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Nursing
  • Pain Management
  • Healthcare Quality

Background:

  • Effective pain management is crucial for hospitalized children.
  • Identified barriers hinder nurses' ability to provide optimal pediatric pain care.
  • The prevalence of these barriers across the U.S. was previously unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate barriers to pediatric pain management.
  • To examine these barriers across different healthcare organizations.
  • To utilize a consistent methodology for comparison.

Main Methods:

  • Survey administered to 808 nurses.
  • Study conducted across three pediatric teaching hospitals.
  • Utilized a standardized tool to assess barriers.

Main Results:

  • Key barriers included insufficient physician medication orders.
  • Lack of time for premedication before procedures was significant.
  • Low priority given to pain management by medical staff was a major concern.

Conclusions:

  • Identified barriers were consistent across hospitals, irrespective of location.
  • Consistent findings provide a clear direction for developing solutions.
  • Addressing these barriers is essential for improving pediatric pain management.
Abstract

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