Knowledge, attitudes, and perceived barriers regarding pain assessment and management among Thai critical care nurses: A cross-sectional study
Issued Date
2024-10-01
Resource Type
ISSN
09643397
eISSN
15324036
Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85199104609
Journal Title
Intensive and Critical Care Nursing
Volume
84
Rights Holder(s)
SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
Intensive and Critical Care Nursing Vol.84 (2024)
Suggested Citation
Chaleewong N., Chaiviboontham S., Christensen M. Knowledge, attitudes, and perceived barriers regarding pain assessment and management among Thai critical care nurses: A cross-sectional study. Intensive and Critical Care Nursing Vol.84 (2024). doi:10.1016/j.iccn.2024.103764 Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/20.500.14594/100013
Title
Knowledge, attitudes, and perceived barriers regarding pain assessment and management among Thai critical care nurses: A cross-sectional study
Author(s)
Corresponding Author(s)
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Abstract
Background: Pain is a distressing problem which commonly occurs among critically ill patients. Nurses’ knowledge of, attitudes, and perceived barriers to pain assessment and management can influence the effectiveness of nursing care. Objective: To explore the current knowledge of, attitudes, and perceived barriers to pain assessment and management among Thai critical care unit nurses. Methods: A cross-sectional survey conducted between November 2022 and January 2023 among 158 Thai nurses working in one of eight adult critical care units in a tertiary hospital, evaluated their knowledge of, attitudes, and perceived barriers to pain assessment and management. Results: Nurses possessed inadequate knowledge and negative attitudes regarding pain assessment and management. The most important barrier to pain assessment and management was “patients are unable to communicate their pain”. The results showed a significantly weak positive correlation between nurses’ attitudes toward pain assessment and management age (r = 0.26, p = 0.001), year of ICU experience (r = 0.29, p < 0.001), and obtaining a certificate in intensive care nursing (r = 0.37, P < 0.001). Conclusions: Thai critical care unit nurses possessed inadequate knowledge and negative attitudes. Further training and education regarding pain assessment and management could include case studies or simulation and immersive virtual reality to improve critical care unit nurses’ knowledge and attitudes as well as identifying potential barriers to pain assessment and management in the critical care settings. Implications for clinical practice: The implications for clinical practice recommend that continued quality assurance procedures should be implemented and maintained to evaluate the effectiveness of current pain assessment practices. Additionally, the perceived barriers to effective pain assessment and management should be considered and managed not only through continued education and training but could include using nursing case review, morbidity and mortality data identifying those patients that experience chronic pain post-ICU discharge.