INTRODUCTION
Post operative pain is an expected adverse outcome following surgery and it often delays mobilization and overall recovery (Bodian et al. 2001; Clarke et al. 1996). Moderate to severe post operative pain is unpleasant but treatable. Adequate level of knowledge and positive attitude are essential components in the delivery of post operative pain management (De Rond et al. 2000; Bowman, 1994). Ineffective pain management continues to be a complaint of hospitalized patients despite the emphasis laid on the patient’s right to appropriate pain management and the increased awareness of the detrimental effects of pain that is inadequately treated and managed (Idvall et al. 2002; Howell et al. 2000).
Pain is defined by the American Pain Society Quality of Care Committee, as an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described by the patients in terms of such damage (Lin, 2001). According to McCaffery et al. (2002) the most accurate definition of pain is “Whatever the experiencing person says it is, existing whenever he says it does”. This definition of pain has implications for registered nurses as they assess pain. The patients experiencing pain only can describe the characteristic of their pain.
Insufficient education and training for nurses and patients were amongst the issues reported as poor post operative pain management (Dalton et al. 2001; De Rond et al. 1999). Although studies have shown that pain education programs increase nurses’ knowledge and improve attitudes towards pain management, the management of post operative pain by nurses still remains a problem (Goodrich 2006; Elliot et al. 1996). Many nurses, are still relying on their personal opinion about patient’s pain, rather than using their recorded assessment to assist them to choose appropriate opioid doses. Appropriate pain assessment tools are not utilized on a regular basis in acute care settings and this also contributes to under-treatment of pain (McCaffery et al. 2000; Clarke et al. 1996).
Pain management has been an integral part of nursing practice for many years, yet there are still too many who lack the basic knowledge necessary to manage pain appropriately (McCaffery et al. 2000; Puntilo et al. 1997). Further, unrelieved post operative pain may be harmful and adversely affect the quality of life amongst post operative patient (Howell et al. 2000; Watt-Watson et al. 2000). This study was designed, therefore to determine nurses’ knowledge and attitude towards post operative pain management at UKMMC. The data collected provides timely, and baseline information related to nurses’ knowledge and attitudes towards post operative pain management at UKMMC. These data may be used as a foundation for comparisons in future research on pain management.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
A cross sectional study was conducted in three surgical wards and the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of UKMMC from February to April 2008. A questionnaire of 28 items comprising two domains: knowledge and attitude towards post operative pain management was administered. It was adopted and modified from Mc Caffery et al. (1995). It was an objective assessment tool to measure the nurses’ knowledge and attitude with regard to pain control. The first 18 questions were of the “true or false” type related to nurses’ knowledge towards post operative pain management. The last ten questions delved into their attitude towards pain management. A Likert’s scale ranging from 1 to 5 (1 indicating “strongly disagree” and 5 “strongly agree”) was used. Questionnaires were translated to Bahasa Malaysia and translated back again. Ninety six sets of questionnaires were given to nurses in surgical ward one, two and three and intensive care unit (ICU) of UKMMC. There were 84 respondents who successfully responded to this study. Ethics approval was obtained from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Ethic Committee (FF-040-2008) and permission was granted by the UKMMC director and nursing services.
RESULTS
The response rate of this study was 84 respondents (88%) completed the questionnaire while 12 respondents (12%) did not, despite being given the questionnaire. The socio-demographic data of respondents were as shown in Table 1.
Results showed that 58 respondents (69%) reported to possess moderate level of knowledge towards post operative pain management; 21 respondents (25%) scored high level of knowledge and 5 respondents (6%) had low score of knowledge towards post operative pain management. Table 2, showed the rates of correct answers to questions related to knowledge in post operative management.
Nurses’ attitude towards post operative pain management
Positive attitude towards post operative pain management was reported by 66 respondents (79%) while 18 respondents (21%) had poor or negative attitude. The respondents’ attitude towards post operative pain management questions correctly answered is shown in Table 3.
DISCUSSION
This study, which measured nurse’s knowledge and attitude regarding post operative pain management, suggested that a knowledge deficit does exist. This is consistent with previous research findings (Idvall et al. 2002; De Rond et al. 2000; Coyne et al. 1999). In this study, 58 respondents (69%) scored moderate level of knowledge towards post operative pain management. This is higher than that reported by Cason et al. (1999) in which the same questions were answered correctly by 63.64% of the respondents. Cason et al. (1999) also found that the nurses in their sample answered general questions about medications for pain better than specific pharmacologic questions about pain management. The findings in this study were in accordance with earlier findings by Watt-Watson et al. (2000), which showed that many nurses had an inaccurate knowledge base about common pharmacologic agents used in pain control. This inadequate knowledge base accounted for the possibility of under-treatment of patients’ post operative pain.
The contribution of inadequate knowledge and nurse’s negative attitudes towards the pain experience has been implicated in the nurses’ inadequate management of patients in pain (Dalton et al. 2001; De Rond et al. 1999; Bownan, 1994). The findings of this study reported that pharmacologic interventions are a major area of concern. 69 respondents (81%) in the study acknowledged that patients might think that pain and sufferings are necessary, based on one’s religious belief. This question demonstrated the perceived importance of religious upbringing and how this may impact upon one’s personal opinion and feelings about pain and suffering.
In the Malaysian scenario, aggravating cultural values and beliefs affect many individuals who believed that pain is a challenge bestowed by God, thus one tends to tolerate the pain rather than reporting the intensity of pain to healthcare staff. Inability to tolerate pain causes one to loss face and self esteem and society may consider this person a coward. Nurses in this present study may expect patients to bear a certain amount of pain and suffering. Clarke et al. (1996) noted in their study that very few nurses felt strongly that patients can and should be maintained in a pain-free state. Majority of nurses would elect to reduce pain rather than to relieve it entirely. The findings from earlier studies are similar to those of the current study. Another possible explanation is the misconception involving the use of opioids. Brunier et al. (1995) found that 30% of the nurses surveyed falsely believed that 25% of the patients with pain will be addicted to opioids. Nurses may feel that some patients are pain medication seeking as a result of addiction.
There were significant differences found in nurses’ academic qualifications and attitude towards post operative pain management. Results of this study are congruent with previous studies, which supported the idea that those with higher academic qualifications had better at-
titude scores (Goodrich 2006; McCaffery et al. 2000; Clarke et al. 1996). Several authors have reported that although nurses have become better informed over the years, there are many who still lack the basic knowledge on appropriate pain management (Watt-Watson et al. 2000; McCaffery et al. 1999; Punntillo et al. 1997).
CONCLUSION
We conclude that nurses in UKMMC possess moderate knowledge and positive attitude towards post operative management. Continuous education in pain management is crucial to improve nurses’ knowledge and attitude towards post operative management. The results of this study provided a framework for the development and implementation of continuing education programs for nursing staff which can enhance the quality of patient care in post operative pain management. Therefore, it is imperative that pain assessment should be included as the fifth cardinal vital signs in the nursing curriculum.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Special thanks to Prof. Dr. Baharudin Hj. Omar and Associate Professor Dr. Zaleha Md Isa for their contributions in editing and interpreting the results. In addition, thanks to Prof. Dr. Rohaizak Muhamad (Deputy Dean of Research Unit), and Puan Hamidah Hassan (Head of Department of Nursing) for their support in this study. Last but not least, to all nurses who participated in this study.