A randomized controlled trial of an educational intervention on Hellenic nursing staff's knowledge and attitudes on cancer pain management
Introduction
Despite the severity and prevalence of cancer pain and its often debilitating consequences with various physiological and psychological correlates (Kuuppelomaki and Lauri, 1998; Miaskowski and Lee, 1999), pain remains poorly assessed and treated (de Wit et al., 1999; Lynn et al., 1997; Wells, 2000; Zhukovsky et al., 1995). A paucity of nursing knowledge regarding management of pain in oncology and other patient populations has been documented (McCaffery and Ferrell, 1992, McCaffery and Ferrell, 1995, McCaffery and Ferrell, 1997; Patiraki-Kourbani and Lemonidou, 2002; Romyn, 1992; Warden et al., 1998), presumably owing to deficits in nursing education, and barriers sustained by cultural attitudes, misconceptions about pain and limitations in nurse–patient interactions (Redmond, 1998). Additionally, even post-registration educational interventions appear to have limited effects in bringing about changes in the knowledge gained and caring behaviors (Francke et al., 1996; Twycross, 2002). Results of education studies are not clear-cut nor can they support, in some instances, that they improve nurses’ knowledge and attitudes. Problematic methodologies with lack of control groups, randomization, and pre- and post-measurements may in part account for this confusion.
Research evidence indicates that cancer pain among oncology patients in Hellas may remain significantly under-treated (Patiraki-Kourbani et al., 1998). Nonetheless, no specifically targeted continuing education efforts for Hellenic nurses have been implemented so far. The current study employs a randomized controlled design to explore the effectiveness of an educational intervention on nurses’ attitudes and knowledge regarding pain management, and to report baseline and immediate post-intervention findings, as well as to explore associations with nurses’ characteristics.
Section snippets
Review of the literature
Research results on the improvement of cancer pain management are challenging to compare and derive an approach from because of; diverse educational interventions, participants, study instruments, and measurement intervals. Some outcomes have focused on knowledge and attitudes (Ferrell et al., 1993; Hauck, 1986; Myers, 1985; Stratton, 1999) while others have demonstrated practice changes such as the administration of analgesics (de Rond et al., 2000a), documentation of pain behaviors (Howell et
Statistical analysis
Statistical analysis was performed by the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS, version 11.0, SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL). Variable values were expressed as mean±standard deviation (SD). The numbers of correct and incorrect answers for each GV-NKASRP item for each study group were quantified in percentages. A nominal significance level was used and Bonferroni adjustment was employed in case of multiple comparisons. Cumulative GV-NKASRP scores were calculated by the number of correct
Participant characteristics
Of the total 169 nurses eligible for this educational intervention, 57 declined participation due to time limitations (acceptance rate: 66.27%, ). Demographic characteristics are summarized in Table 1. Regardless of educational background, all participants in this study functioned as registered nurses, which is often the case in Hellenic hospitals due to a sizable nurse shortage. No significant differences were noted between the intervention and control groups in regard to these background
Discussion
We explored the acquisition of knowledge regarding cancer pain management by Hellenic cancer nurses after a day-long workshop that included videotape viewing and case scenario discussion groups. The most important findings of this experimental four Solomon group study were (a) the relatively low pre-test knowledge scores; (b) the significant improvement in knowledge after the educational intervention, albeit the persistence of some common misconceptions even immediately post-intervention; and
Limitations and problems encountered
One problem encountered in this study was the moderate response rate, mainly attributed to the nursing workload and presumably to low motivation for continuing education. Participant randomization in four Solomon groups reduced power for individual comparisons; however, it was instrumental in highlighting the effect of the testing procedure itself on knowledge gain. Since the aim of this study was to train and test nursing personnel of a specific institution, in order to engage in long-term
Conclusion and implications
We reported baseline and immediate post-intervention results of nurses’ knowledge and attitudes from a randomized controlled trial testing an educational intervention for cancer pain management and assessment. This study differed from previous ones in the field because: (a) for the first time, a sample of Hellenic Oncology nurses were tested and trained, (b) a pure experimental design with randomization in intervention and control groups was employed, (c) a Solomon four-group design was
Acknowledgements
This study was made possible by a research grant from EONS (EONS 2003). We are also indebted to the nurses who participated in the study, and to Mrs. Vasiliki Marmara, Director of Nursing Services of St. Savas Cancer Hospital who facilitated this study.
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