Patient-related Barriers to Effective Pain Management: A Cross-sectional Survey of Jordanian Nurses

Abstract

Introduction: Pain is a common symptom of many diseases and conditions. Most human systems, such as the cardiovascular system, gastrointestinal system, and immune system, are affected significantly due to the occurrence of this symptom. Therefore, pain management is an essential element in the treatment plan for patients, which continues to attract considerable attention of researchers and international health organizations. Patient barriers to pain management, such as denying the prescribed analgesic and/or refusing to disclose pain, are potential causes of pain management deficiency. When it comes to pain management, nurses constitute the first line of the in-patient care system. They are responsible for identifying and verifying the need for pain management intervention in addition to delivering it based on the plan or suggesting modifications to the patient care plan. In addition to that, nurses are expected to identify the presence of any barrier that impacts the pain management plan. Objective: This study aims to explore the perceptions of Jordanian public hospitals’ nurses regarding the patient-related barriers in pain management. Methods: The cluster sampling method was used; 13 hospitals in the central province of Jordan were selected after being evaluated, and a questionnaire on patient-related barriers to pain management (16-items) was circulated to all nurses. 600 nurses were approached, and 307 (51%) responded to the questionnaire. Results: The questionnaires were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The study found the patient-related barriers to pain management to be low based on nurses’ prespectives (mean= 0.63; SD= 0.0268). Conclusion: Jordanian patients have a serious misconception regarding the side effects of analgesics. So, the Jordanian ministry of health and Jordanian hospitals should offer health education related to it.