title: The enduring need for the pain resource nurse (PRN) training program.
abstract: Nurses play a pivotal role in pain management but academic nursing curricula remain lacking in basic pain management principles. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the long-term impact of the City of Hope Pain Resource Nurse (PRN) Training Course on nursing pain management practice. An online survey, comparing RNs' pre- and post-training practice, assessed the long-term impact of the course on content application and dissemination. Participants with 1-9 years post-course attendance (2002-2010) were invited to complete a brief survey (N = 783). Respondents (N = 180; 23%) reported significant improvements in their comfort with basic opioid administration (p < .001). Relaxation was the most common non-drug intervention used by respondents. Pain assessment content was most frequently applied to practice (97%). Most respondents (89%) disseminated course content to others within their own institutions. PRN-trained nurses expressed improved confidence in pain management and attributed course content to the improvement in their practice behavior.
authors.affiliation: Nursing Research & Education, Department of Population Sciences, City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA. mgrant@coh.org
authors.forename: Marcia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grant
authors.forename: Betty
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ferrell
authors.forename: Jo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hanson
authors.forename: Virginia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Gwen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Uman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004506:Education, Nursing; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000193:education* / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010146:Pain / Q000451:nursing*; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000451:nursing*; D010166:Palliative Care; D016730:Program Development