Educational Needs of Nurses in Remote Islands in Japan Regarding Cancer Pain Management

Nurses play a crucial role in pain management for cancer patients and therefore need sufficient knowledge of pain relief. However, nurses on remote islands have few opportunities to attend training and may face difficulties in clinical practice. This study aimed to identify educational needs and gain insights into the education necessary for cancer pain management through an analysis of the learning needs of nurses on remote islands. A self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted on registered nurses working in cancer pain management on remote islands in Japan. Responses were received from 128 nurses. The following learning barriers specific to remote islands were identified: [Burden of travel itself], [Burden of absence], and [Barriers to self-learning environment]. In total, 69.5% of the respondents reported having difficulties with pain management, including [A lack of knowledge] and [Accurate understanding of pain]. Furthermore, 95.3% expressed a desire to participate in training. The main learning needs identified were "Treatment of cancer pain" and "Assessment of cancer pain". Regarding training methods, 63.3% indicated "Careful instruction in the basics". Regarding the time required for the learning materials, 35.2% preferred "About 30 minutes". Additionally, regarding learning methods, 68.0% preferred "Online training". Therefore, nurses on remote islands have the following learning needs: teaching basic knowledge with careful instruction and easy-to-understand materials through online training. These findings could be useful for creating effective educational programs and developing training programs that are easily accessible to nurses on remote islands.