Nurses' perceived barriers to optimal pain management in older adults on acute medical units.
Nurses' perceptions of barriers preventing optimal pain management in older adults on acute medical units and the extent to which they perceived they had adopted four evidence-based practices related to pain assessment and management were often incongruent with actual practice. Eliciting reports of pain, offering pro re nata pain relief regularly, utilizing pain assessment tools in patients with cognitive impairment, redesigning documentation tools and processes, making nonpharmacological alternatives accessible, and helping patients and families manage side effects would target the 12 barriers having the biggest impact.
Coker
Esther
E
School of Nursing, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada L8N 3Z5. ecoker@stpetes.ca
Papaioannou
Alexandra
A
Kaasalainen
Sharon
S
Dolovich
Lisa
L
Turpie
Irene
I
Taniguchi
Alan
A
D000368:Aged; D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003625:Data Collection; D055318:Evidence-Based Nursing; D005851:Geriatric Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000523:psychology*; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000451:nursing*
D000700:Analgesics