Knowledge, Attitudes, and Perceived Barriers of Nurses Regarding Pain Management in Emergency Department; a KAP Study

Introduction: Adequate knowledge and positive attitude among nurses are essential for successful pain management as a fundamental aspect of patients' rights. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude and perceived barriers of nurses regarding acute pain management in emergency department. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, participating nurses were selected using a consecutive sampling technique within a medical university. Data were collected using 4 questionnaires, which consisted of demographic information checklist, Pain Management Principles Assessment Tool (PMPAT), Nurses' Attitude Survey (NAS), and Nurses' practice checklist. The correlation between knowledge, attitude, and barriers with each other and with baseline characteristics of participates were studied. Results: 400 nurses with the mean age of 38.26 +/- 10.39 years were studied (63% male). The average knowledge score of studied nurses was 7.38 +/- 2.16 (range: 1 -14). All 400 (100%) nurses exhibited a low level of knowledge. The mean attitude score of participants was 58.47 +/- 22.08 (range:26-100). 214 (53.5%) cases had low attitude, 44(11.0 %) average attitude, and 142 (35.5%) cases exhibited a high attitude score. The mean score of barriers about pain management was 36.48 +/- 23.52 (range: 0 - 80). 23 (5.8%) participants answered the perceived barriers as never, 113 (28.3%) as seldom, 71(17.8%) as sometimes, 133 (33.3%) as often, and 60 (15.0%) as routine. There was an reverse relationship between the knowledge score and perceived barriers of pain management (r=-0.164, p<0.001). No significant relationship was found between the average knowledge score and nurses' attitudes (r = 0.092; p > 0.065). Conclusions: The findings of this study highlight the need for ongoing training and the organization of workshops for nurses due to their low levels of knowledge and attitude. These training sessions should focus on the concept of pain, assessment methods, pain relief, as well as pharmacology and the physiology of pain.