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Evaluation of the Premature Infant Pain Profile-Revised (PIPP-R) e-Learning Module: Immediate and Sustained
Marsha Campbell-Yeo1, Leah Carrier, Britney Benoit
1School of Nursing, Faculty of Health, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada (Dr Campbell-Yeo and Ms Carrier); MOM-LINC Lab, Centre for Pediatric Pain, IWK Health Centre, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada (Drs Campbell-Yeo and Kim); Rankin School of Nursing, Faculty of Science, St Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada (Dr Benoit); Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning (PGCRL), Toronto, Ontario, Canada (Drs Bueno and Stevens and Mss Rao and Riahi); School of Kinesiology, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada (Ms Rao); and Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing & Faculties of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada (Dr Stevens).
Background:
Electronic health (e-health) learning is a potential avenue to educate health professionals about accurately using infant pain assessment tools, although little is known about the impact of e-health interventions on clinical competence.
Purpose:
To evaluate whether an e-health learning module for teaching the accurate use of the Premature Infant Pain Profile-Revised (PIPP-R) pain assessment tool results in immediate and sustained competency to assess infant pain.
Methods:
Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) nurses who participated in a larger study across 2 tertiary NICUs in Canada examining the implementation and clinical utility of the PIPP-R e-learning module completed 2 follow-up evaluations at 1 week and 3 months. Participants were asked to view a video recording of an infant undergoing a painful procedure and to assess the infant's pain intensity response using the PIPP-R measure. Immediate and sustained competency was assessed via interrater consensus of participant-reported PIPP-R scores compared with those of an experienced trained coder.
Results:
Of the 25 eligible nurses, 22 completed 1-week and 3-month follow-up evaluations. At the 1-week follow-up, 84% of nurses scored the video accurately compared with 50% at 3 months. Behavioral pain indicators were more likely to be scored incorrectly than physiological indicators.
Implications For Practice:
Follow-up training after completion of the initial e-learning module training may improve competency related to the clinical use of the PIPP-R tool to assess infant pain over time.
Implications For Research:
Additional study regarding the need and timing of e-health training to optimize sustained competency in infant pain assessment is warranted.
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