ABSTRACT

Objective:

This study was conducted with the aim of determining knowledge and behavior of nurses about pain management.

Material and Method:

The study was designed as a cross-sectional study. The study was performed on 560 nurses between February and April 2014. Data were collected by using Nursing Information Form and The Survey Regarding Nurses’ Knowledge and Behavior Regarding Pain. Data were evaluated by using descriptive statistical methods, Student’s t-test, One-way ANOVA and Kruskal-Wallis tests.

Results:

Out of total 560 nurses, 45.2% were in the age group of 29-38 years, 88.6% were female, 66.1% had a graduation degree, 69.8% were working in internal diseases units and 91.6% were working as a bedside nurse, 39.5% of nurses had an experience less than 5-year, 56.2% of nurses had no in-service training regarding pain, and 76.6% did not follow the literature about pain. One-third of nurses (35.2%) were not using scales for pain often. In the survey, nurses scored 4.95±2.16 points in knowledge and behavior about pain. The average knowledge and behavior in pain scores of nurses with post graduate degrees (6.31±2.19, p=0.002), of nurses who followed nursing publications (5.30±2.25, p=0.03) and of nurses those always used the pain scales (5.26±2.38, p=0.02) were significantly high. Longer the working times, lower the average knowledge and behavior scores of the nurses (p>0.05). The average knowledge and behavior score of nurses working in internal diseases units were higher than the scores of ones working in surgical units (p>0.05). The nurses who had in-service training in pain had higher average scores (p>0.05).

Conclusions:

The study indicates that nurses do not have sufficient knowledge about diagnosis and management of pain