Beliefs and perceptions about children in pain: a survey

This survey examined beliefs about pain in children and perceptions of the adequacy of pain management among 228 nursing personnel in a pediatric setting in the Southeast. Nursing education correlated positively with both beliefs and perceptions of current practice. Years of nursing experience, number of years of pediatric nursing experience, and age were not significantly correlated with either factor. Respondents perceived the need for (a) educating physicians about effective pain management, (b) more information about pain management in the neonatal/infant population, (c) more collaboration between nurses and physicians when managing pain in children, and (d) more support for nurses to influence pain management. The overwhelming majority (> 95%) of respondents expressed interest in learning more about assessment and management of pain in children.