title: Postoperative pain: knowledge and beliefs of patients and nurses.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe patients' and nurses' knowledge and beliefs regarding pain management. Moreover, to explore the effect of information and education on patients' and nurses' knowledge and beliefs regarding pain management.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  In the treatment of postoperative pain, patients' and nurses' inadequate knowledge and erroneous beliefs may hamper the appropriate use of analgesics.
  
  
  METHODS
  A randomised controlled trial and a cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 2013, half of 760 preoperative patients were allocated to the intervention group and received written information about the complications of postoperative pain. The knowledge and beliefs of 1184 nurses were studied in 2014 in a cross-sectional study. All data were collected with the same questionnaires.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the intervention group, patients' knowledge level was significant higher than in the control group, while no differences were found in beliefs. Nurses had higher knowledge and more positive beliefs towards pain management compared with both patient groups. Nurses with additional pain education scored better than nurses without additional pain education. Nurses were also asked what percentage of pain scores matched their impression of the patient's pain, and the mean was found to be 63%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Written information was effective for increasing patients' knowledge. However, it was not effective for changing beliefs about analgesics and patients and nurses had erroneous beliefs about analgesics.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is necessary to continue to inform patients and nurses about the need for analgesics after surgery. Such education could also emphasise that a discrepancy between a patient's reported pain score and the nurse's own assessment of the patient's pain should prompt a discussion with the patient about his/her pain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jacqueline Fm
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: van Dijk
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing Science, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Marieke J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Schuurmans
authors.affiliation: Department of Communication Science, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Eva E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Alblas
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Cor J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Kalkman
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Albert Jm
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: van Wijck
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D059408:Pain Management / Q000451:nursing / Q000523:psychology*; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000451:nursing / Q000523:psychology*; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000451:nursing / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics
keywords: medication; nurse education; pain assessment; patient teaching; postoperative pain