Quality Evaluation of Postoperative Pain Management

• Main Authors: LI-CHUN LIN, 林麗君
• Other Authors: 陳美伶
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2002
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/70116465495301375859

碩士 === 長庚大學 === 護理學研究所 === 90 === Pain is the first problem that patients will experience after surgery. According to the past studies, approximately 77% to 98% of postoperative patients experienced pain, of which 40% to 80% patients experienced moderate to severe pain, and at least 40% to 50% patients did not receive adequate pain management. The purpose of this study was to explore the quality of postoperative pain management, including preoperative pain care, postoperative pain management, level of postoperative pain and pain relief, satisfaction of postoperative pain management, side effects of using analgesics, and nurses’ knowledge and attitude towards pain management. The study used a descriptive survey design. A convenient sample of 100 postoperative patients and 56 nurses was drawn from orthopedic wards at a district hospital. The result revealed 98% of postoperative patients experienced pain. The current pain level was 3.68 with a 0-10 scale. The worst pain level was 7.27. Pain level after using analgesics was 3.5 and the degree of pain relief was 66.9%. The rate of executing prn analgesics order was 59.8%, and the doses of prn analgesics that patients received was 31.3% to 55.4% of the maximum doses that doctors prescribed. After using analgesics, 18% of patients reported side effects. Ninety-two patients had received preoperative pain care. For these patients, the average items of pain care were 3.57, of which “supporting injured site” (50.0%) and “distracting attention” (39.0%) were predominant. The more items of pain care patients received, the higher degree of their satisfaction towards doctors. The levels of postoperative pain and pain relief were associated with whether the patient received preoperative care of deep breathing and cough exercise, instructing possibility of postoperative pain, ice packing, and distracting attention,. The average score of nurses’ knowledge and attitudes towards pain was 15.91, with a correct response rate of 51.3%. The nurses’ age, education background, training of pain care, working experience, and surgical working experience did not affect the score of nurses’ knowledge and attitudes towards pain. By chart audit, the study failed to find any pain assessment tool was used. This study revealed the current situation of postoperative pain care and the nurses’ knowledge and attitudes toward pain. This findings can be used to guide future clinical practice and to design education for nurses, in the hope of improving quality of pain management.