Date of Award

1-2023

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Advanced Practice Nurs​ing (MSc-APN)​

First Advisor

Prof. Sheila Shaibu

Second Advisor

Mr. Horatius Musembi

Department

School of Nursing and Midwifery, East Africa

Abstract

Postoperative pain remains a significant global problem despite overall pain management advances. Postoperative pain may alter neural pathophysiology, including peripheral and central sensation, and lead to chronic pain syndrome. Postoperative pain management implies professional care to improve patients’ comfort and early ambulation, decrease analgesia side effects, and reduce chronic pain. Nurses taking care of postoperative patients must be equipped with adequate knowledge and skills to be effective. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and nurses' practice on postoperative pain management among nurses in medico-surgical wards at Aga Khan University Hospital. It is a quantitative descriptive cross-sectional study. Data were collected from 103 nurses in the medico-surgical wards at AKUH, Nairobi. The study used the census sampling method, and the participants' questionnaire was given to collect data on knowledge, attitudes, and practices on managing postoperative patients' pain. Data were analysed through descriptive statistics, chi-square and linear regression using SPSS version 20. Ethical clearance was obtained from the Institutional Ethical Research Committee, and permission to collect data was obtained from the Aga Khan Hospital. Results indicated that 81.6% of nurses were females, and 60.2% had a diploma in nursing. The results indicate that there was a significant association between the nurses’ marital status those married and pain management attitude (p= 0.044), as well as education level (p= 0.036) and working experience (p= 0.002) with pain management practice. However, it was interesting to discover that there was no association between demographic attributes and pain management knowledge (p>0.05). The study recommends a mandatory annual certified continuous education program on postoperative pain management for nurses, and newly employed nurses should undergo a certified orientation program on pain management. Nurses should improve their handling of patients post-surgery and utilise the acquired knowledge while maintaining a positive attitude to improve patient outcomes.

First Page

1

Last Page

104

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