title: Attitudes, beliefs and self-reported competence about postoperative pain among physicians and nurses working on surgical wards.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate attitudes, beliefs and self-reported competence with regard to pain management in nurses and physicians on surgical wards. Interprofessional differences between physicians and nurses were also examined.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 795 physicians and nurses from different surgical departments in Norway were invited to complete a questionnaire measuring attitudes, beliefs and self-reported competence about postoperative pain.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, 128 physicians and 407 nurses completed the questionnaire (response rate 68%). Of these, 77% of physicians and 57% of nurses reported more than 4 years' work experience with postoperative pain. Most of the physicians (95%) and nurses (86%) reported that patients 'often' or 'very often' achieved satisfactory pain relief. Overall, 69% of the sample evaluated themselves as being highly competent or competent in treating nociceptive pain, while only 16% reported they were highly competent or competent in treating neuropathic pain. There were no statistically significant differences between the professions regarding their self-reported competence in pain management, and nurses and physicians only differed on three out of 18 conditions regarding their appraisal of conditions related to postoperative pain management after controlling for years of experience. Only 20% of respondents were satisfied with the annual updates for staff about pain relief for patients with postoperative pain.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Even though the majority of physicians and nurses described themselves as competent in management of nociceptive pain, and thought that patients often or very often achieved satisfactory pain relief, the respondents reported dissatisfaction with the annual updates in pain management and poor competence in treatment of neuropathic pain.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, Institute of Nursing, Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences, Oslo, Norway. maykarin.rognstad@hioa.no
authors.forename: May-Karin
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Rognstad
authors.forename: Olav Magnus S
authors.initials: OM
authors.lastname: Fredheim
authors.forename: Tone E B
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Johannessen
authors.forename: Gunnvald
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kvarstein
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Skauge
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Undall
authors.forename: Tone
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rustøen
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D009664:Norway; D009726:Nurses; D010149:Postoperative Pain; D010820:Physicians; D013503:Surgery Department, Hospital