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Knowledge and Attitudes about Pain Management among Canadian Nursing Students
Jennifer Hroch1, Elizabeth G VanDenKerkhof2, Monakshi Sawhney3
1St. Lawrence College, School of Baccalaureate Nursing, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
Summary
Most nursing students lack adequate knowledge and positive attitudes for effective pain management. Key knowledge gaps exist in opioid safety, dosage calculations, and pharmacology, impacting patient care.
Area of Science:
- Nursing Education
- Pain Management
- Healthcare Quality
Background:
- Poorly managed pain presents a global challenge impacting individuals, healthcare systems, and society.
- Nurses play a crucial role in pain management, yet their foundational knowledge and attitudes, particularly among students, remain under-researched.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the knowledge and attitudes of preregistration nursing students regarding pain assessment and management.
- To identify specific areas of deficiency in nursing students' understanding of pain management principles and practices.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional, descriptive survey design was employed.
- Data were collected from 336 final-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing and practical nursing students across four educational sites in Ontario, Canada.
- The Knowledge and Attitudes Survey Regarding Pain was administered, with a passing score set at 80%.
Main Results:
- Only 4.5% of participating students achieved a passing score on the survey, with a mean score of 66.7%.
- Significant knowledge gaps were identified concerning the risks of respiratory depression with opioid therapy, medication dosage calculations, administration, and pharmacology.
- Factors such as English as a primary language, institution attended, and prior experience with pain care were associated with higher scores.
Conclusions:
- The majority of nursing students in this study demonstrated inadequate knowledge and suboptimal attitudes towards pain assessment and management.
- These findings highlight a critical need for curriculum enhancement in nursing education to improve pain management competencies.
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