Differences Between Parents and Nurses in Perceived Educational Support for Pediatric Postoperative Pain Management

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Surgery
• Pain Management
• Healthcare Education

Background:

• Effective postoperative pain management in children is essential.
• Parental involvement and understanding play a critical role in managing pediatric pain.
• Existing educational support may not adequately address the needs of both parents and nurses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare parents' and nurses' perceptions of educational support for pediatric postoperative pain management.
• To identify discrepancies in information prioritization and satisfaction with educational interventions.
• To explore how these differences impact pain control in children.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 164 parents and 50 surgical nurses.
• Electronic questionnaires assessed information priorities, pain experience, preferred educational methods, and satisfaction.
• Statistical analysis compared responses between parent and nurse groups.

Main Results:

• Parents prioritized evaluating pain severity, while nurses focused on the Pediatric Care Assessment Protocol (PCAP).
• Significant differences were found in the importance of PCAP indication, pain evaluation, and pain management targets.
• Parents reported lower satisfaction with educational support compared to nurses.

Conclusions:

• Discrepancies in perceived educational needs between parents and nurses contribute to moderate postoperative pain in children.
• Current educational strategies may be insufficient due to a lack of alignment with parental concerns.
• Further research should focus on developing targeted educational programs to enhance parental engagement and improve pediatric pain outcomes.