Integrating Primary Care Nurses in Chronic Pain Management: Barriers, Opportunities, and Insights from a Qualitative...

Chronic pain (CP) is a prevalent condition that significantly affects quality of life, making its optimal management essential in primary care. However, nurses are often not involved, highlighting the need to better understand the conditions necessary for integrating their expertise before deploying implementation strategies.

This qualitative study aimed to identify barriers and facilitators to implementing nursing activities in CP management and to explore primary care nurses' perceptions of their role in this regard.

Twenty-one nurses from primary care practices in Quebec, Canada, participated in four online focus groups. The Integrated Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services framework in implementation science was used to explore the challenges and opportunities in CP nursing management. Data analysis followed both inductive and deductive approaches, guided by this framework.

While nurses were interested in integrating pain assessment into their practice, they faced challenges due to a lack of training about CP. A gap was identified in their understanding of the chronic nature of pain and their ability to provide appropriate follow-up and support. Nurses also expressed concerns about addressing the mental health aspects associated with CP. Additionally, they often relied on primary care managers, whose leadership is pivotal in driving change, even within nursing practices.

This study highlights several challenges while suggesting essential implementation strategies to strengthen nurses' capacities, including additional training and tailored tools. Promoting interdisciplinary collaboration, clarifying nursing roles, and increasing manager awareness are crucial for enhancing primary care nurses' involvement in CP management.