DescriptionPurpose: Inadequate pain management in the hospital setting can be attributed to various factors such as nurses’ knowledge, attitudes, and perceived barriers to pain control. Pain is one of the most significant ailments that cancer patients suffer from. Proper interventions need to be implemented to ensure the best quality of care. Nurses play a significant role in managing pain control and providing adequate pain management. The purpose of this study is to provide an educational module that addresses nurses’ knowledge, attitudes, and potential obstacles to adequate pain control to impact the assessment and treatment of cancer pain management by oncology nurses.
Methodology: This Quasi-experimental quantitative research improvement project used electronic surveys to assess the impact of an educational program on oncology nurses’ knowledge, attitudes, and perceived barriers to adequate pain control in the oncology population.
Results: A total of 11 participants completed the pretest, posttest, and posttest 2. The participants had an average score of 68.5% (SD=5.50) and after the educational module, the scores increased to 77.6% (SD=7.50). The results showed that while the p-value is .203, the scores still did increase from pretest to posttest 2. Inadequate pain assessment and knowledge on pain control, patients’ reluctance to report pain, and inadequate staffing were the most barriers identified.
Implications for Practice: Nurses’ knowledge and attitudes toward adequate pain management are essential in providing optimal care to the oncology population. Educational interventions and the creation of evidenced-based guidelines should be implemented to prevent inadequate pain control. Identifying the barriers to inadequate pain control at an institutional level will aid each facility to intervention and therefore facilitate improved health outcomes and better quality of care.