Paper
Wednesday, July 21, 2004
This presentation is part of : Staff Nurse-Driven Evidence Generation and Use: Supporting the Process
The Effects of a Nursing Education Intervention on Perceptions of Pain and Patient Satisfaction in a Post-Operative Setting
Elizabeth Foster, RN, SHNT1, Brian Nicol, RN, III2, Melissa Hamilton-Hawke, RN, III2, and Jeanne-Marie E. Havener, PhD, RNCS, FNP, IBCLC3. (1) Department of Anesthesia, Bassett Healthcare, Cooperstown, NY, USA, (2) Nursing, Bassett Healthcare, Cooperstown, NY, USA, (3) Department of Nursing, Hartwick College, Oneonta, NY, USA
While pain is a universal human experience, it is difficult to define or understand. Because of the highly subjective nature of pain, only the person experiencing the pain can accurately describe that experience. Despite this, pain management strategies routinely employ pain rating scales with little corresponding instruction given to patients regarding how that information is used to determine their treatment plan. Thus, it is hypothesized that introduction of a patient education intervention with emphasis on pain assessment and management will positively influence postoperative patient outcomes (satisfaction and perceptions of pain).

Objective: As a result of attendance, the learner will be able to: (a) define pain; and, (b) understand how post-operative perceptions of satisfaction and pain are influenced by an educational intervention focused on pain assessment and management.

Design: Quantitative, quasi-experimental

Population, sample, setting, years: Based on power analysis, the sample will include patients scheduled for elective, laparoscopic-assisted cholecystectomies in a rural healthcare setting during the first and second quarters of 2004.

Concept or Variables Studied: Pre-operative teaching (standard versus educational intervention); patient satisfaction as measured by the American Pain Society Patient Pain Satisfaction Survey; patient perceptions of pain as measured by the Pain Management Flow Sheet, the Numeric Pain Rating Scale, and Kolcaba’s Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for Total Comfort

Methods: Subjects will be randomly assigned to the standard teaching or educational intervention group; differences in measures of patient satisfaction and pain will be measured.

Findings: Data will be analyzed for statistically significant between group differences on measures of patient satisfaction and pain.

Conclusions: It is expected that the educational intervention will result in an increase in satisfaction and decreased perceptions of pain.

Implications: Findings will add to nurse’s understanding of the patient’s pain experience and improved patient outcomes.

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Sigma Theta Tau International
July 21, 2004