Online Learning to Improve Nurses’ Knowledge, Attitudes, and Self-Efficacy About Managing Postoperative Pain in Older Adults

Background

Older adults undergoing total knee arthroplasty may develop chronic pain without effective postoperative pain management. Increasing nurses’ knowledge, changing their attitudes, and developing their pain management self-efficacy could improve the effectiveness of pain management.

Aim

To determine the effectiveness of an online learning program to help registered nurses to manage postoperative pain in older adults undergoing total knee arthroplasty.

Design

A quasi-experimental pre-test–post-test design with intervention and control groups.

Method

Six inpatient units were randomly selected at a large tertiary care medical center. Sixty nurses were evenly divided between intervention and control groups to participate in online learning about postoperative pain management in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty. The content was based on Kolb's experiential learning theory. Data were collected on nurses’ knowledge and attitudes toward pain management and pain management self-efficacy at baseline and after completion. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, paired t-tests, and independent t-tests.

Results

The knowledge and attitudes about pain management and pain management self-efficacy toward older adults undergoing total knee arthroplasty of nurses in the intervention group significantly improved compared to the baseline and were also significantly higher than in the control group.

Conclusions

An online learning program improves nurses’ understanding and ability to manage pain in older adults undergoing total knee arthroplasty. This was therefore an effective learning method.