A study of emergency nurses'' knowledge and attitudinal barriers of pain management

• Main Authors: Feng-Ching Tsai, 蔡鳳琴
• Other Authors: Yun-Fang Tsai
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2005
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/33427780938245020924

碩士 === 長庚大學 === 護理學研究所 === 93 === The purpose of this study was to investigate emergency nurses’ knowledge of pain management, identify attitudinal barriers to pain management as perceived by emergency nurses, and explore the correlations among nurses’ knowledge, attitudinal barriers of pain management and nurses’ demographics. A correlation and cross-sectional research design using a structured questionnaire to collect demographic characteristics, nurses’ knowledge and attitudes regarding pain was adopted. A convenience sample of 327 emergency nurses from nine hospitals was recruited. The overall response rate was 76.1% (n=249). The finding shows that emergency nurses did not have adequate knowledge of pain management. Only 49.2% demonstrated sufficient knowledge in the study. The items on effect, side effect, dose, routes of administration and treatment regime of analgesics show especially low scores (below 35%). The mean score on attitudinal barriers was 2.9 (5-point Likert’s scale) and the highest score which was found on item“ apart from managing the pain of some patients, emergency nurses also have the responsibility to look after other acutely ill patients” was 4.3 with SD=0.7. A significantly negative correlation between scores on knowledge and factors leading to attitudinal barriers was found (r=-0.202, p＜0.01). Results from ANOVA showed significant differences in knowledge score among different ranks of emergency nurses(F=3.782, p＜0.01). The subsequent Scheffee’s test indicated that emergency nurses of N4 had significantly higher knowledge scores than those of N1. By and large, most emergency nurses received pain management training from three main resources, that is, school, seminar or symposium, continuing education offered by hospitals. Those who had studied in the three resources had higher knowledge scores than those had done in only one resource (F=6.136, p＜0.01). A significantly positive correlation between knowledge scores and years of experience (r=0.148, p＜0.05), and duration of the pain courses undertaken (r=0.341, p＜0.01). Significant differences between the scores on the factors leading to attitudinal barriers and different ranks of emergency nurses (F=2.519, p＜0.05), and different work settings of hospital (F=4.223, p＜0.05) were also found. Emergency nurses who worked in the medical centers had higher scores on the factors leading to attitudinal barriers than those in local hospitals. The findings of this study suggested that nurse managers should consider providing continuing training program on pain management to emergency nurses. The program should cover all aspects of pain management, especially for effects, side effects, doses, routes of administration, regimen, and addiction of analgesics. Emergency nurses need early preparation to be able to do pain assessment and pain management effectively. Furthermore, nurse manager should also consider nurse manpower for emergency rooms in order not to compromise pain management with the ever-increasing workload derived from acutely ill patients. Then the overall effectiveness and quality of pain management for emergency patients would be improved.