The impact of a 12-hour educational program on nurses' knowledge and attitudes regarding pain management: a quasi-experimental study

Background Proper pain assessment is fundamental to effective pain management. Training nursing staff is critical for improving pain assessment competence and patient clinical outcomes. However, there is a dearth of research examining interventions that can enhance nurses' knowledge and attitudes toward pain management, especially in Saudi Arabia. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a structured education program on nurses' knowledge and attitudes towards pain management. Methods A quasi-experimental design was used. The study sample included 124 registered nurses working in intensive care or inpatient units in Saudi Arabia. Data were collected between March and September 2021 using a knowledge and attitudes survey regarding pain, satisfaction with and self-confidence in learning, and the learning self-efficacy scale for clinical skills. Results Nurses showed moderate levels of knowledge and attitudes regarding pain before (M = 20.3, SD = 4.80) pain management education, which were significantly higher after the intervention (M = 22.2, SD = 5.09, t = 2.87, p < .01). Before the intervention, nurses with a baccalaureate degree had more knowledge and better attitudes regarding pain management than diploma nurses (t = 3.06, p < .01). However, there was no significant difference between the two groups after the intervention (p > .05), indicating that the education was effective in enhancing nurses' knowledge and attitudes, regardless of nursing education level. Nurses in this study had high mean scores for self-confidence in learning (M = 35.6, SD = 4.68, range = 18-40), self-learning efficacy (M = 52.9, SD = 7.70, range = 25-60), and satisfaction with learning (M = 22.2, SD = 3.24, range: 10-25). Conclusion Regular pain education programs can improve nurses' knowledge and attitudes. Increasing the breadth and depth of educational courses, alongside appropriate training, competency-based assessment, and pain education programs, is also recommended. Future research should consider the subjectivity and individualized nature of nursing by including patient satisfaction surveys to measure the improvement in nurses' knowledge and attitudes from the patient perspective.