"I feel your pain": a research study addressing perianesthesia health care providers' knowledge and attitudes toward pain.
Patients' feedback about their perianesthesia experience at an acute care 609-bed teaching hospital in Washington, DC, indicated that pain management was an area in need of improvement. A nonexperimental descriptive study related to pain management was conducted in the perianesthesia areas to assess the knowledge and attitudes of health care providers. McCaffrey and Ferrell's 38-item self-report questionnaire was given to anesthesia providers, preoperative nurses, Phase I nurses, and Phase II nurses (N=138). Seventy-two participants responded, yielding a 52% response rate. Results showed a statistically significant difference between the scores of the anesthesia care providers and the preoperative area nurses and between the Phase I nurses and the preoperative nurses. No statistically significant differences were found between the anesthesia providers, and Phase I and Phase II nurses, indicating that at this hospital, nurses who provide postoperative care have similar knowledge and attitudes regarding pain as the anesthesia providers.
Georgetown University Hospital, 3800 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC 20007, USA. jxb37@gunet.georgetown.edu.
Julie
J
Burns
Kerstin T
KT
Magee
Hayley
H
Cooley
Anne
A
Hensler
Joanne
J
Montana
Daria
D
Shumaker
Jane
J
Snyder
Artisha R
AR
Polk
D000046:Academic Medical Centers; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002983:Clinical Competence; D004219:District of Columbia; D030141:Feedback, Psychological; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D009719:Nurse Anesthetists / Q000193:education / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000523:psychology; D015402:Nursing Education Research; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000193:education / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000523:psychology; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D016528:Postanesthesia Nursing / Q000193:education / Q000458:organization & administration; D011182:Postoperative Care / Q000193:education / Q000451:nursing / Q000523:psychology; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000193:education / Q000451:nursing / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires