Cognitive processes nurses and doctors use in the administration of PRN (at need) analgesic drugs

The report is a descriptive, comparative study of the cognitive processes used by doctors and nurses when deciding whether or not to administer prn drugs to postoperative cancer patients. Simulations, together with the think aloud technique to provide verbal protocols was the method chosen. The theoretical framework chosen for the analysis was the information processing theory. Five doctors and 5 nurses, each with at least 5 years of working experience were interviewed. The interviews were transcribed so that a content analysis could be performed. The main findings were the following: doctors and nurses generated hypotheses early in the interview; the only statistically significant difference between the two groups was the wider use of theory and/or experience as a source of information by doctors. Although differences are not statistically significant, nurses appear to collect more information on and from the patient and more information on vital signs and symptoms other than pain than the doctors. Differences derived from analysis of the statements expressed by the subjects suggested that nurses pay more attention to the patient's psychological problems and that, while doctors' main concern was to make the right diagnosis, the nurses' main concern were patients' reactions and collaboration.