Impact of an educational pain management programme on nurses' pain knowledge and attitudes in Kenya

Abstract

Pain is a common symptom for patients receiving palliative care, but can be relieved by effective pain management. Nurses play a critical part in implementing pain management effectively and must therefore have a solid foundation of knowledge and a positive attitude toward it. The purpose of this study was to implement and evaluate an educational pain management programme (PMP) for nurses in Kenya. The effects of the PMP were measured using a quasi-experimental pre-post test design. Twenty seven nurses from two units in a single health institution in Kenya participated in a baseline assessment using the Nurses Knowledge and Attitudes Survey Regarding Pain (NKASRP). Nine randomly selected nurses then received 7 hours of focused education. This group completed the assessment again both immediately after and 2 weeks after the PMP. A deficit in knowledge and attitudes related to pain management was prominent at baseline. The nurses who received the PMP scored significantly higher on the NKASRP following the PMP: mean scores were 18.44, 28.00, and 27.56 at baseline, first follow-up, and second follow-up assessment respectively. The PMP appears to be effective in improving nurses' pain knowledge and attitudes.