Nurses' Knowledge and Attitudes About Adult Post-Operative Pain Assessment and Management: A Cross Sectional Study in Qatar

Abstract

Background: Pain has been described by clinicians, patients, and researchers alike as a complex and challenging phenomenon. People have different experiences of pain. Nurses' negative attitudes and lack of knowledge are major impediments to effective pain management. Aim: The study aimed to assess the knowledge and attitudes of nurses in Qatar about adult post-operative patients' pain assessment and management and the factors that may be associated with such knowledge and attitudes. Methods: The study was a cross-sectional online survey using a self-administered questionnaire for post-operative registered nurses working in Hamad Medical Corporation. The dependent outcome was the number of correct answers on the Knowledge and Attitudes Survey Regarding Pain. Results: A total of 151 post-operative nurses participated in the study. The mean knowledge and attitudes (K&A) score was 19.6 (SD 4.5) out of 41 (48%), indicating a huge deficit in the nurses' knowledge and attitudes about adult post-operative pain. No sociodemographic or other variables were associated with the K&A score. There was no statistically significant difference in mean K&A scores by gender (males vs females, mean difference=-1.6, P=0.06, 95%CI: -3.35, 0.12) or nationality (non-Qatari vs Qatari, mean difference=5.04, P=0.05, 95%CI: -0.14, 10.22). K&A scores increased with higher levels of education, but these differences were not statistically significant (F=2.08, P=0.13). There were no statistically significant differences in the mean K&A scores of participants based on marital status (F=0.35, P=0.78), the workplace facility (F=0.82, P=0.55), current job designation (F=0.88, P=0.51) or hours of pain education (F=1.01, P=0.40). There were weak but not statistically significant inverse correlations between K&A scores and years of experience (r=-0.03, P=0.79) and age (r=-0.01, P=0.88). Conclusion: There is a significant deficit in post-operative nurses' knowledge and attitudes about pain in Hamad Medical Corporation. Appropriate pain assessment is vital to achieving adequate pain management. Pragmatic research and evidence-based nursing educational courses focused on pain assessment and management are required to enhance nurses' knowledge and attitudes and improve patients' care.