Faculty Collaboration Database

Do barriers to pediatric pain management as perceived by nurses change over time? Pain Manag Nurs 2014 Mar;15(1):292-305

Date

02/26/2013

Pubmed ID

23433700

DOI

10.1016/j.pmn.2012.12.003

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-84895182000 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   20 Citations

Abstract

For decades, nurses (RNs) have identified barriers to providing the optimal pain management that children deserve; yet no studies were found in the literature that assessed these barriers over time or across multiple pediatric hospitals. The purpose of this study was to reassess barriers that pediatric RNs perceive, and how they describe optimal pain management, 3 years after our initial assessment, collect quantitative data regarding barriers identified through comments during our initial assessment, and describe any changes over time. The Modified Barriers to Optimal Pain Management survey was used to measure barriers in both studies. RNs were invited via e-mail to complete an electronic survey. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to compare results over time. Four hundred forty-two RNs responded, representing a 38% response rate. RNs continue to describe optimal pain management most often in terms of patient comfort and level of functioning. While small changes were seen for several of the barriers, the most significant barriers continued to involve delays in the availability of medications, insufficient physician medication orders, and insufficient orders and time allowed to pre-medicate patients before procedures. To our knowledge, this is the first study to reassess RNs' perceptions of barriers to pediatric pain management over time. While little change was seen in RNs' descriptions of optimal pain management or in RNs' perceptions of barriers, no single item was rated as more than a moderate barrier to pain management. The implications of these findings are discussed in the context of improvement strategies.

Author List

Czarnecki ML, Salamon KS, Thompson JJ, Hainsworth KR

Author

Keri Hainsworth PhD Director, Associate Professor in the Anesthesiology department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Attitude of Health Personnel
Child
Cross-Sectional Studies
Female
Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
Hospitals, Pediatric
Humans
Male
Nursing Staff, Hospital
Pain
Pain Management
Pediatric Nursing
Surveys and Questionnaires