The role of nurses in pain management of surgical patients
Nwakanma, Chibueze Noble; Oham, Chiedozie Princewill (2025)
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025121938574
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025121938574
Tiivistelmä
Effective management of pain, done by nurses is important for surgical patient recovery, but still numerous challenges affect their ability to deliver optimal care. This descriptive literature review synthesized 16 peer-reviewed studies to address the research question: “What challenges affect the ability of nurses to provide effective pain management for surgical patients?”.
Information searches were done systematically using databases like Scopus, PubMed, Google Scholar and CINAHL to select studies for this review, with inclusion criteria focusing on nurses, recent peer reviewed studies (last 10 years), surgical settings, and pain management barriers. Thematic synthesis identified three key themes: nurse-related challenges (e.g., inadequate training, high workload), patient-related challenges (e.g., communication barriers, cultural stigmas), and organizational/system-related challenges (e.g., staffing shortages, lack of protocols, opioid regulations, poor interdisciplinary collaboration).
Findings revealed that inadequate knowledge, limited education on pain assessment tools and non-pharmacological methods, coupled with systemic constraints like low nurse-to-patient ratios, affected timely and effective care. Also, patient reluctance to report pain and regulatory restrictions further complicated nurses’ roles. The findings show the need for comprehensive training programs, standardized protocols, cultural competence initiatives, and policy reforms to help nurse autonomy and improve care. Future research should explore challenges in specific surgical populations and evaluate longer interventions to track development over a period of time rather than at a certain point. This review shows and explains nurses’ important role in managing postoperative pain and provides a foundation for improving patient outcomes.
Information searches were done systematically using databases like Scopus, PubMed, Google Scholar and CINAHL to select studies for this review, with inclusion criteria focusing on nurses, recent peer reviewed studies (last 10 years), surgical settings, and pain management barriers. Thematic synthesis identified three key themes: nurse-related challenges (e.g., inadequate training, high workload), patient-related challenges (e.g., communication barriers, cultural stigmas), and organizational/system-related challenges (e.g., staffing shortages, lack of protocols, opioid regulations, poor interdisciplinary collaboration).
Findings revealed that inadequate knowledge, limited education on pain assessment tools and non-pharmacological methods, coupled with systemic constraints like low nurse-to-patient ratios, affected timely and effective care. Also, patient reluctance to report pain and regulatory restrictions further complicated nurses’ roles. The findings show the need for comprehensive training programs, standardized protocols, cultural competence initiatives, and policy reforms to help nurse autonomy and improve care. Future research should explore challenges in specific surgical populations and evaluate longer interventions to track development over a period of time rather than at a certain point. This review shows and explains nurses’ important role in managing postoperative pain and provides a foundation for improving patient outcomes.