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the United States. It is one of the most common symptoms that bring patients into the healthcare system.
Nurses are on the forefront of this issue with the capacity to assess and respond to patients’ needs. Nurses’
knowledge and attitudes towards pain can predict the nurses’ ability to adequately meet patients’ pain reduction
needs. In order to address patients’ pain and manage it appropriately, nurses need to be confident in their
understanding and assessment of pain. It is therefore fitting to investigate nurses’ knowledge and attitudes
regarding pain, so as to be able to plan for successful interventions. A study was conducted to replicate a 1996
survey comparing outcomes of the attitudes and knowledge regarding pain survey of a convenience sample of
medical-surgical nurses in 2013 with nurses from 1996 to determine if attitudes towards pain have changed.
Methods: A Cross-sectional, descriptive, comparative design was used. The Nurses’ Knowledge and Attitudes
Survey Regarding Pain (NKASRP) and a demographic survey were utilized to assess the nurses’ knowledge level
and attitudes toward pain and pain management. A convenience sample of nurses (n=55) from nine in-patient,
medical-surgical units at a large multi-facility health care system volunteered to participate.
Results: No significant differences were found between the attitudes on pain from the 1996 and 2013 respondents.
The mean score on the NKASRP was 67%. No significant correlations were identified between any demographic
variable and nurses’ scores.
Conclusion: Despite increased educational preparation since 1996, the mean score on the NKASRP remained well below what is considered average knowledge. Patients continue to be under-medicated or not medicated for their pain. This presentation will present these findings as well as strategies to evaluate pain and meet the needs of our patients in pain.
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