English

Abstract

Pain is subjective and it can only be described by the individual experiencing it. It is the main reason why people seek medical help. Nurses play a major role in the management of pain; hence they must be highly knowledgeable to ensure their practices are of high quality. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of Nurses’ Pain Educational Program (NPEP) on nurses’ knowledge of pain management. The quantitative design was employed in the study; five lectures on the Nurses Pain Educational Program (NPEP) were conducted for 500 nurses. All participants were given 15 items questionnaires in a pre and post test design. The study location was the University College Hospital Ibadan and the duration of the study was between March to December, 2015. The pre and post-test on nurses’ knowledge were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics and the overall improvement in knowledge and management of pain was analyzed using the student t-test. The participants were divided into groups; each group was trained for two days in a week using the Nurses Pain Educational Program Package (NPEP). Findings revealed an improvement in knowledge which was found to be statistically significant (P < 0.000). This was evident by the results of the pre-test and post-test values; pre-test mean score was 2.6 ± 0.05 while that of the post test score was 4.0 ± 0.04. This indicated that knowledge was impacted. The Nurses Pain Educational Program had a positive effect on nurses' knowledge of pain assessment and pain management. Key words: Nurses’ Pain Education Program (NPEP), nursing, pain management.