Perception of Pain Management Among Nurses: A Study at Enchi Government Hospital

Abstract

The subjective nature of pain makes it difficult to manage, especially when your healthcare personnel (mostly nurse) does not have requisite knowledge on pain management. Thus, the purpose of the study is to investigate the perception of pain management among nurses at Enchi Government Hospital. Descriptive cross-sectional study design with quantitative approach and convenient sampling method was used in conducting the study. Standard closed ended questionnaire was used to elicit responses from registered nurses at the Enchi Government Hospital. The study revealed that out of the total 150 respondents, 75.1% (112) of the total respondents’ responses depicted good perception on pain management, 76.7% (115) showed good knowledge on pain management and 51.4% (77) revealed good attitude towards pain management. In conclusion, majority of nurses at Enchi Government Hospital have good perception, good knowledge and good attitude towards pain management with others being at deficit. It is recommended that more studies are conducted on this subject concerning the topic of this study, other pertinent topics on pain management, in-service training conducted periodically and also implemented in curriculum for nursing education in Ghana.