Differences in Postoperative Pain Assessments Among Children, Mothers, and Nurses After Pediatric Day Surgery

Accurate assessment of postoperative pain is critical for effective pain management and safe discharge planning in pediatric surgical patients. However, discrepancies may occur between pain assessments reported by children, parents, and healthcare professionals during the postoperative period. This study aimed to compare postoperative pain assessments among children, mothers, and nurses following pediatric day surgery.

Prospective, descriptive repeated-measures study.

Conducted in the pediatric surgery and day surgery units of a university hospital. The sample consisted of 139 children aged 3 to 12 years undergoing day surgery, their mothers, and 19 nurses providing postoperative care. Pain intensity was independently assessed by children, mothers, and nurses using the Wong-Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale preoperatively and at 15 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours, and 3 hours postoperatively, as well as prior to discharge. Data were analyzed using nonparametric statistical tests.

Pain scores were highest at 15 minutes postoperatively, with mean scores of 3.40 ± 2.23 reported by children, 3.30 ± 2.30 by mothers, and 2.05 ± 1.65 by nurses. During the early postoperative period, pain scores reported by children and mothers were significantly higher than those reported by nurses (P < .001). Pain scores decreased over time in all groups, and no significant differences were observed between groups at 3 hours postoperatively or prior to discharge.

Discrepancies may occur among different informants in postoperative pain assessment during the early recovery period following pediatric day surgery. The similarity between parental and children's pain ratings suggests that parental assessments may provide valuable complementary information to support nurses' early postoperative pain evaluations and guide nursing care.