The Use of Technology in Enhancing Nurses' Pain Management Competencies: A Narrative Review

Background: Effective pain management is a critical aspect of nursing care, and technological advancements have the potential to improve nurses' competency in assessing, monitoring, and intervening as a strategy for improved patients' pain experiences and outcomes. Objective: This review aimed to explore various technologies employed in pain management, their implications on nurses' competencies, and the challenges and benefits associated with their implementation. Methods: Using keywords from relevant studies, we searched the following electronic databases for pertinent literature and freely accessible full text: PubMed, ScienceDirect, IEEE Xplore, and Google Scholar. Results: Findings from the literature provide valuable insights into the various technologies employed by nurses to assess pain, such as wearable technology, virtual reality, mobile applications, and telehealth platforms, that give nurses a chance to develop their expertise in pain management, put evidence-based interventions into practice, and track patient response to care. Additionally, the benefits of implementing technology applications in pain management, including its ability to broaden nurses’ knowledge, hone their decision-making skills, and customize patient care with the use of simulation platforms and remote monitoring tools, were identified. Furthermore, issues like technological literacy, time restraints, privacy concerns, and ethical considerations need to be addressed for the effective incorporation of technology into pain management procedures. Conclusion: To improve patient care and outcomes, nurses can use technology to improve their pain management skills by recognizing the possible benefits and resolving related problems. Conclusively, areas for future research and development and implications to nursing practice, education, and research were outlined.

Background: Pain is a public health problem and affects millions of people globally. According to Bisher et al 2023, analysed medical literature reveals a concerning gap of up to 30% of healthcare professionals lack training in pain assessment and management. Effective pain management is essential and possible through comprehensive pain management guidelines, trained healthcare professionals and adequate facilities. Studies suggest that health care professionals often demonstrate varying skills in pain assessment and management and consequently inadequately managed pain. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the healthcare professionals’ Skill in pain management in Meru Teaching and Referral hospital and St Theresa mission hospital Kiirua. Methods: Design was a Cross-sectional study (Mar 23 – May5, 2025). Participants included 140 HCPs (22 doctors, 33 clinical officers, 102 nurses).Tool Used was Adopted KASRP questionnaire and modified practice questions from literature review and a checklist to validate skill practice. Ethical approval from MIRERC, NACOSTI, Meru County Research office and a consent from participants were sought. Analysis was by descriptive, Chi-square, logistic regression, and multinomial logistic regression at a Significance set at p < 0.05. Results: N= 135. 17(89.5%) out of 19 questions assessing the HCPs skills in pain management were answered correctly. 129(95.6%) participants reported to often follow guidelines to effectively manage pain in their unit and 56 (41.5%) of healthcare professionals reported to use the pain assessment tool every time they meet the patients. Inferential statistics found lack of significant pairwise differences in practice by designation. Mean Differences = 0.15079, Sig. = 0.992 Mean Difference = -1.37143, Sig. = 0.444. There was a significant difference between the KASRP score, sample characteristics and the checklist results where (p<0.001). 48 (100%) of the sampled patient files had a prescription of pain medication, only 11(22.9%) of the files had pain classification and only 2 (4.2%) had finding according to assessment scale documented. Conclusion: All pairwise comparisons show significance levels greater than 0.05, this means that, there are no significant differences in the mean total pain management skill score based on professional designation. With these findings, HCP have good knowledge of what to practice in pain management but the evidence of their practice was lacking through documentation.

Influences of experiential year and web-based learning module on student pharmacists’ confidence and competence in pain management

IntroductionPostoperative pain is a common symptom in surgical patients. Effective postoperative pain management can facilitate quick recovery of patients and enhance their comfort. Nurses' pain-management competency is crucial for ensuring the effective implementation of postoperative pain management; however, there is no effective tool to evaluate competency. In this study, we developed and validated the Surgical Nurses' Pain-Management Competency (SNPMC) tool for assessing surgical nurses' competency in pain management and evaluated competency levels and associated factors among Chinese surgical nurses.MethodsThis study comprised two phases. (a) Measurement tool development, where items were generated through literature review and interviews, refined by expert discussions and two rounds of Delphi consultations, and finalized using the analytic hierarchy process. (b) Measurement validation and application, which evaluated content validity, construct validity, internal consistency, and test–retest reliability of the SNPMC. Using a multistage, geographically stratified convenience sampling strategy, 1,885 surgical nurses were surveyed from 48 hospitals across 15 regions representing the eastern, central, and western economic regions of China.ResultsThe final instrument included 78 items across seven dimensions: routine pain assessment, assessment and management of movement-evoked and unexpected pain, pharmacological pain management, patient-controlled analgesia management, non-pharmacological pain management, pain education, and professional development. The final SNPMC demonstrated excellent psychometric properties. Internal consistency was high (corrected item-total correlations: 0.672–0.847). Exploratory factor analysis supported the seven-dimensional structure (loadings ≥0.40). Content validity was strong (item-level content validity index: 0.80–1.00; scale-level content validity index: 0.98). The test–retest reliability over 14 days indicated strong stability. Chinese surgical nurses exhibited moderate to high levels of pain-management competency. Factors associated with competency included economic region, age, professional title, department, years of experience, education level, prior pain-management training, and prior pain management continuing education.ConclusionThe SNPMC effectively evaluates surgical nurses' pain-management competencies, highlighting the current competency levels and its contributing factors.

REVIEW QUESTION / OBKECTIVE The qualitative objective of this systematic review is to identify and synthesize the best available evidence on experiences of acute non-surgical pain, including pain management, of children (between four to 18 years) when they present to a healthcare facility for treatment. The specific objectives are to identify: Children’s experiences of their acute, non-surgical pain, including pain management Children’s expectations of others in managing their acute, non-surgical pain including, but not limited to parents and nurses INCLUSION CRITERIA Types of participants This review will consider studies that include children aged four to 18 years who present to a healthcare facility for treatment of their acute (less than three months), non-surgical pain caused by any injury or medical condition. Children younger than four years typically have not developed linguistic skills that enable them to articulate their experiences. Phenomena of interest This review will consider studies that explore children’s experiences of acute, non-surgical pain and their expectations of other people in managing their pain, including, but not limited to, parents and nurses. Studies focusing on children with postoperative pain or those reporting on children with chronic pain will be excluded. Context Any healthcare facility, including, but not limited to, general practitioners, hospitals, emergency departments and outpatient clinics will be considered.

Pain is often under reported and under-treated in older adults with dementia. Formal caregivers receive training and resources to develop their pain management skills; yet family caregivers (FCGs), who bear the brunt of responsibility for pain management among community-dwelling older adults with dementia have largely been omitted from research. We conducted a qualitative descriptive study to gain a deep understanding of FCGs’ experience in pain management. 25 adult FCGs of community-based older adults with dementia were living in central Virginia were interviewed. Participants were 29 to 95 years old, predominantly white, married, female, and high school graduates. Four themes emerged around exploring FCGs’ pain management experience and each theme included sub themes: 1) Values: family caregivers make values-based decisions that rely on a diverse range of beliefs towards opioids and non-pharmacological approaches. 2) Barriers: pain management was hampered by patient-related factors (comorbidity, complexity of care) and FCG-related factors (lack of training and resources). 3) Support: FCGs perceived greater competence when well supported by professional caregivers (doctors, social workers) and family members. 4) Adaptation: FCGs employed many strategies to support themselves and build a sense of self-efficacy that can either inhibit or facilitate effective pain management for their loved-ones. Adaptation and support from professional or formal caregivers greatly improved FCGs’ perception of competence in pain management, suggesting research and development of interventions targeting FCGs is warranted.

Primary care physicians play a key role in initiating opioid therapy. However, knowledge gaps in opioid use and pain management are significant barriers to providing optimal care. This research study aims to investigate the educational needs of primary care physicians regarding opioid therapy and opioid use in pain management. A computer-assisted web interview (CAWI) protocol was used to collect data from primary care physicians. Drug selection criteria, knowledge of opioid substitutes and dosage, and practical use of opioid therapy were evaluated. While 84% of participating physicians (724 respondents) reported initiating opioid treatment, only a minority demonstrated accurate opioid dosage calculations. Significant discrepancies between physicians' self-perceived knowledge and their clinical skills in opioid prescribing and pain management were observed. In total, 41% of physicians incorrectly indicated dose conversion rates for tramadol (the most frequently used drug according to 65% of responders). Targeted educational programs are essential to bridge the knowledge gap and increase physicians' competence in pain management. The proper self-assessment of one's own skills may be the key to improvement. Further research should focus on developing specialized educational courses and decision-support tools for primary care physicians and examining the impact of interprofessional pain management teams on patient outcomes.

A qualitative study with an emergent design using semi-structured interviews in focus groups. To explore the expectations, experiences and desires among individuals who are prescribed drugs for spinal cord injury (SCI) neuropathic pain (NP). SCI rehabilitation centre. Eighteen informants with SCI and NP were enrolled. The informants originated from large and small cities in southern Sweden. Data were collected in focus groups consisting of 4-5 individuals in four separate sessions. An emergent design was employed using an interview guide containing open questions. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and data were analyzed according to qualitative content analysis. A model of three themes emerged: "Balancing between pain and side-effects" described the difficult choices the informants had to make between drugs and their unwanted side-effects and pain, "Desiring competence and structure in pain management" described the informants wishes regarding pain management and "From hope to personal solutions" described the process from hope of total pain relief from drugs to the development of personal strategies. There is a great need for improvement of SCI-related neuropathic pain management since recommended drugs are insufficiently effective and accompanied by severe side-effects that impact quality of life but also due to structural limitations and physicians' lack of competence in pain management.

#36889 Closing the gaps in postoperative pain management: challenges and future perspectives

Improving pain management through leadership and interdisciplinary collaboration

Neonates, especially preterm infants, are often subjected to frequent painful procedures during their stay in the neonatal intensive care unit.1 Repeated painful stimuli in early life are known to result...

The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of pain management training on improving nurses' competency in adult diseases in Padang Pariaman hospital. The Method This study uses a quasi-experimental design with one group pre-post test design approach. The results of this study obtained statistically shows that there is an increase in the cognitive, affective and skills of pain management by nurses (p <0.05). Variable knowledge of nurses increased with a value of 8,647 ± 3,427, attitudes 7,882 ± 3,789 and skills 14,06 to 16,76. The conclusion of this study that Off the job training is very potential for improving nurse competence in pain management, especially in improving cognitive competence, effectiveness, and pain management skills. Continuous training and evaluation of the application of pain management are expected to improve the ability of nurses to carry out pain management.
 Keywords: Pain Management Training, Cognitive, Affective, Skill, Competence

The Ethical Imperative to Relieve Pain at Life's End

The objective of this review was to determine whether electronic health (eHealth) educational interventions about infant procedural pain and pain management impact parental outcomes (eg, mental health, knowledge uptake), eHealth outcomes (eg, acceptance, use), and pain management outcomes (eg, parental involvement, infant pain response). Pain in infants is a common concern for parents. Routine postpartum care for infants in early life requires them to endure painful procedures, such as immunizations, yet infants often receive little to no pain management. Parents are an essential component of effective pain management, although they may not be aware of the roles they play. Despite the increased number of eHealth resources available to educate parents about infant pain management, their impact has yet to be synthesized. This review considered studies that evaluated eHealth educational interventions targeted at parents during pregnancy and up to 1 year postpartum. Interventions included, but were not limited to, mobile applications, web-based applications, websites, videos, interactive training, hands-on direct simulation, short message service (SMS), and desktop applications. Primary outcomes included parental outcomes (eg, stress or anxiety, self-efficacy, knowledge, attitudes), eHealth outcomes (eg, acceptance, use), and pain management outcomes (eg, parental involvement, infant pain response). Experimental, quasi-experimental, and observational study designs were included. MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and SciELO were searched for studies published in English up to June 14, 2021. Citation lists of relevant reviews and included studies were also searched for additional peer-reviewed articles. Two independent reviewers conducted critical appraisal using standardized tools from JBI, and data extraction, using a data extraction form designed by the authors. Statistical pooling of quantitative data was not possible due to heterogeneity; thus, the findings were reported narratively. A total of 4163 unique studies were screened, with 11 studies ultimately included for synthesis. Five articles were randomized controlled trials, 5 articles were analytical cross-sectional studies, and 1 article was quasi-experimental. Studies reported on 4 unique eHealth educational interventions, all of which used video format and primarily targeted the postnatal period. The findings for all primary outcomes were mixed but suggested either improvements in outcomes or no impact. The certainty of evidence was determined as low or very low across primary outcomes for reasons related to imprecision, risk of bias, and indirectness. Although heterogeneity of findings limited quantitative synthesis of data, this review suggests that short and engaging educational videos have the potential to positively impact parents' knowledge, confidence, and desire to be involved in procedural pain management for their children. Most of the interventions presented in this review describe evidence-based information about procedural pain management strategies that are known to be effective for infant populations. Thus, it is reasonable to assume that infant pain response should be lower when parents appropriately apply the strategies. However, the findings of this review were not able to confirm this assumption. More research is needed to evaluate the impact of parent-targeted pain management education on infant pain response. PROSPERO CRD42020151569.

Introduction: Recent research has highlighted the significant impact of procedural pain on critically ill neonates. However, effective pain management strategies to mitigate long-term negative consequences are still underutilized. Objective: To determine the effect of nurse factors on procedural pain management in neonates performed by neonatal nurses, when controlling organizational context factors and infant factors. Method: This study was cross-sectional correlation design. The participants consisted of 118 Thai NICU nurses. The Data collecting used by a self-report questionnaire. The descriptive statistics and hierarchical multiple regression analysis are used to analyze the data. Result: The findings showed that organizational supportive resources and nurse-physician collaboration had significantly positive effects on pain management in neonates (β = .349, p < .001, and β = .362, p < .001). Gestational age had a significant negative effect on pain management in neonates (β = -.414, p < .001). Knowledge, attitude, and nurses’ experience of infant care had significant positive effects on pain management in neonates (β = .435, p < .001, β = .257, p < .01, and β = .236, p < .01, respectively). When controlling for the organizational context factors and the infant factor, nurse factors still predicted procedural pain management in neonates. Together, the predictor variables explained 54.8% of the total variance of nurses’ pain management in neonates. It can conclude that nurse factors are important predictors of procedural pain management in neonates. Conclusion: Thus, there is a need for nurse empowerment and enhanced knowledge about neonatal pain assessment and management among NICU nurses.