Pain assessment and management in children at Lusaka Children’s Hospital: a mixed methods study

Pediatric pain is a neglected area in child health, particularly in low resource settings. All health workers poorly manage pain in children generally. Since Nurses are the closest health workers to the patient their knowledge, attitudes, and practices on pain affect the patients directly. The...

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Main Author: Chisupa, Eric
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: 2021
Online Access:http://nkhokwe.kuhes.ac.mw:8080/handle/20.500.12845/178
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author Chisupa, Eric
author_facet Chisupa, Eric
author_sort Chisupa, Eric
collection DSpace
description Pediatric pain is a neglected area in child health, particularly in low resource settings. All health workers poorly manage pain in children generally. Since Nurses are the closest health workers to the patient their knowledge, attitudes, and practices on pain affect the patients directly. The aim of the study was to explore nurses’ experiences in management of pain in children. The study used a convergent parallel mixed methods design. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected using the questionnaires, focus group discussions, and a case review. 40 nurses responded to a survey done using the Pediatric nurses' Knowledge and Attitudes Survey tool. This was followed up by three focus group discussions made up of at least six (6) nurses in each group and a two (2) case file review. Quantitative data were analyzed using STATA 15, for associations using chi-square, and Fisher’s exact tests. Overall, the nurses’ scored poorly, with a median score of 40.7%, while the World Health Organization’s (WHO) expected pass mark is 80%. Neither self rated knowledge nor years of experience had any significant association with the score. A higher level of education was both significantly associated with a higher score (Fisher’s exact 0.038). Qualitative data was analyzed using content analysis. Some of the themes, which emerged, were nurse’s lack of knowledge on the management of pain, barriers to pain management, and influencers for deciding on management of pain in children. Nurses made negative statements about self-reported patient pain, attributing child and parent reports as attention-seeking behaviors, yet at the same time, the nurses expressed a positive desire to have training on pediatric pain management augmented by clear hospital policies and protocols. Heath workers rarely use a tool to assess and manage child pain and this was reinforced by the two file case reviews. The overall findings suggest that nurses were lacking in knowledge and practice for providing appropriate pain management to children. It is being recommended that the guidelines on pediatric pain management in pre-service curriculum and in-service training be cemented, and to explore forming hospital pediatric pain management teams to address in-facility needs.
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spelling oai:nkhokwe.kuhes.ac.mw:20.500.12845-1782023-03-12T00:07:23Z Pain assessment and management in children at Lusaka Children’s Hospital: a mixed methods study Chisupa, Eric Pediatric pain is a neglected area in child health, particularly in low resource settings. All health workers poorly manage pain in children generally. Since Nurses are the closest health workers to the patient their knowledge, attitudes, and practices on pain affect the patients directly. The aim of the study was to explore nurses’ experiences in management of pain in children. The study used a convergent parallel mixed methods design. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected using the questionnaires, focus group discussions, and a case review. 40 nurses responded to a survey done using the Pediatric nurses' Knowledge and Attitudes Survey tool. This was followed up by three focus group discussions made up of at least six (6) nurses in each group and a two (2) case file review. Quantitative data were analyzed using STATA 15, for associations using chi-square, and Fisher’s exact tests. Overall, the nurses’ scored poorly, with a median score of 40.7%, while the World Health Organization’s (WHO) expected pass mark is 80%. Neither self rated knowledge nor years of experience had any significant association with the score. A higher level of education was both significantly associated with a higher score (Fisher’s exact 0.038). Qualitative data was analyzed using content analysis. Some of the themes, which emerged, were nurse’s lack of knowledge on the management of pain, barriers to pain management, and influencers for deciding on management of pain in children. Nurses made negative statements about self-reported patient pain, attributing child and parent reports as attention-seeking behaviors, yet at the same time, the nurses expressed a positive desire to have training on pediatric pain management augmented by clear hospital policies and protocols. Heath workers rarely use a tool to assess and manage child pain and this was reinforced by the two file case reviews. The overall findings suggest that nurses were lacking in knowledge and practice for providing appropriate pain management to children. It is being recommended that the guidelines on pediatric pain management in pre-service curriculum and in-service training be cemented, and to explore forming hospital pediatric pain management teams to address in-facility needs. 2021-05-13T14:53:35Z 2021-11-03T06:47:04Z 2021-05-13T14:53:35Z 2021-11-03T06:47:04Z 2020-09-01 Thesis http://nkhokwe.kuhes.ac.mw:8080/handle/20.500.12845/178 en application/pdf
spellingShingle Chisupa, Eric
Pain assessment and management in children at Lusaka Children’s Hospital: a mixed methods study
title Pain assessment and management in children at Lusaka Children’s Hospital: a mixed methods study
title_full Pain assessment and management in children at Lusaka Children’s Hospital: a mixed methods study
title_fullStr Pain assessment and management in children at Lusaka Children’s Hospital: a mixed methods study
title_full_unstemmed Pain assessment and management in children at Lusaka Children’s Hospital: a mixed methods study
title_short Pain assessment and management in children at Lusaka Children’s Hospital: a mixed methods study
title_sort pain assessment and management in children at lusaka children’s hospital: a mixed methods study
url http://nkhokwe.kuhes.ac.mw:8080/handle/20.500.12845/178
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