| dc.description.abstract | Background: Children commonly expenence pain resulting from injury, illness or
medical procedures. The pediatric pain experience involves the interaction of
physiological, behavioral, developmental, and situational factors. It is often associated
with anxiety, fear, stress and distress. Since children are developmentally, physiologically
and pharmaco-dynamically different from adults, the assessment and management of
children's pain is a particular challenge for healthcare professionals.
Objective: To evaluate current knowledge and attitudes in pediatric pain management
among pediatric nurses and also to identify gaps in knowledge and attitudinal barriers
that warrant further education.
Methods: A modified version of Manworren's Pediatric Nurses' Knowledge and
Attitudes Survey Regarding Pain tool was used for this study. The questionnaire was
distributed to pediatric nurses by research assistants. The data collected was analyzed by
use of Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and Statistical Package for Social Sciences. PNKAS
scores were expressed as percent (%) correct responses. Differences in PNKAS scores
between groups were determined by analysis of variance (ANOVA). Statistical
significance was established at p< 0.05.
Results: Data collection was completed between March 20,2009 and May 19,2009. The
response rate was 54.9%. Education qualifications included Hospital Certificate (n=7,
14%), Diploma (n=28, 56%), Bachelor's Degree (n=6, 12%), and Post Graduate (n=7,
14%). Most respondents were between 30-34 years of age. More than 60% of the nurses
had worked in the pediatric unit for 5 years or less.
32% of respondents had not received any education in any aspect of pain management
either before or since commencing work in the pediatric setting. 28% occasionally
attended in service sessions on pain and 18% frequently read journal articles on pain.
1
66% of respondents felt comfortable in basic pain assessment. Most respondents reported
that they are greatly influenced by facial expressions (n=45), vital signs (n=42), family
report of an infant's or child's discomfort (n=39) or the child's own report of pain using a
pain rating tool (n=33).
Nurses' individual scores on the PNKAS ranged from 8.7-82.6 % with a mean of 49.6%.
Overall, no significant differences in PNKAS scores were found among the groups
formed by age (F= 1.096, p= 0.379), among the groups by years of nursing experience
(F=0.513, p= 0.726), among groups formed by years of pediatric nursing experience
(F=1.16, p=0.334) and among groups formed by highest level of education (F=0.214,
p=0.886).
Conclusion: Areas of weakness identified by this study centered on pharmacology, the
potential side effect of respiratory depression and pain assessment. Areas of weakness
can be used to structure educational programs for improving nurses' knowledge, attitudes
and subsequent practice of pediatric pain management. | en |
| dc.description.department | a
Department of Psychiatry, University of Nairobi, ; bDepartment of Mental Health, School of Medicine,
Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya | |
