| dc.description.abstract | Background Pain assessment is critical to optimal pain management interventions. While pain is highly a subjective experience, its management necessitates objective standards of care. Pain assessment should be ongoing (occurring at regular intervals), individualized and documented so that all individuals involved in patient’s care understand the pain problem. Acute and chronic pain if not properly assessed can result in inadequate pain management outcomes and can negatively affect the physical, emotional and psychosocial wellbeing of patients.
Objective: The aim of the study was to assess factors influencing pain assessment and management among nurses at Case Medical Centre Kampala.
Method: A descriptive cross sectional study was employed to assess factors influencing pain assessment and management among nurses at Case Medical Centre Kampala. A total of 50 nurses from the hospital were included in this study using non probability, convenient sampling technique. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data. Data were entered in epi-info 3.5.4 which was transferred using stat transfers into access and analyzed using SPSS version 16.
Results: From the assessment done, years of working experience(X2=11.73, P=0.003, 95% CI), the
units/ward which a nurse worked (X2=13.52, P=0.002, 95% CI), being aware about pain assessment (X2=30.95, P=0.000, 95% CI), knowing the importance of pain assessment (X2=21.46, P=0.000, 95% CI), have received training on pain assessment, pain assessment tool and pain management (X2=5.83, P=0.004, 95% CI), availability of pain assessment tools(X2=19.41, P=0.000, 95% CI), if pain assessment tools were important (X2=7.25, P=0.000, 95% CI), availability of the pain assessment tools, attitude that pain tools help in effective pain assessment (X2=10.00, P=0.000, 95% CI) , availability of guidelines regarding pain assessment in the wards (X2=17.54, P=0.000, 95% CI), influence of the guidelines on the way one assesses and manages pain (X2=, P=12.490.003, 95% CI) and availability of pain tools in the ward always (X2=19.41,
P=0.000, 95% CI) had a significant influence on the assessment and management of pain.
Conclusion: pain assessment and management is affected by knowledge, attitude of the nurses on pain assessment, pain assessment tools and pain management, availability of pain assessment tools and hospital set standards on how to manage pain. Thus, providing adequate pain assessment tools, regular training and supervision on pain assessment and management are recommended to improve the problems of inappropriate pain assessment and management. | en_US |
