Identification of perceived barriers of pain management in Iranian children: A qualitative study

Abstract

Hospitalized children are often inadequately treated for their pain. Paediatric nurses experience these inadequacies more than other health-care team members. This research was an attempt in the form of a phenomenological study to reveal some major barriers in children pain management as the nurses had perceived. Sixteen nurses were interviewed in the medical, surgical and infectious paediatric wards of a hospital in Iran. Data analysis were based on Colaizzi method that surfaced three main themes in different areas namely: organizational barriers, limitations relating to child's characteristics and barriers relating to the nature of disease and its treatments. The study results have shown organizational limitations added to the lack of authority for administering some medical intervention, inadequate equipment and utilities and unavailability of opioids as the main pain controlling and restricting factors. Additional factors that relate to the child specifications like age, temperament, behaviour, expression and gender affect the assessment and treatment of pain. The results revealed identified barriers in real context. It seems that some guidelines are needed to achieve optimal pain management.

Paediatric pain management: knowledge, attitudes, barriers and facilitators among nurses – integrative review

“…; Namnabati et al. ), children's behaviour was reported as a barrier to effective identification and management of pain. In Sweden, 20 nurses were interviewed about the factors influencing their abilities to assess and manage children's pain.…”

“…In another qualitative study of 16 nurses in Iran, nurses said that assessment of pain in young children was problematic due to their limited verbal expressions and behavioural responses to pain (Namnabati et al. ). These findings concur with those of other studies (McInerney et al.…”

The measurement properties of pediatric observational pain scales: A systematic review of reviews

“…Assessment of pain in a child may be influenced by the parent (118,(125)(126)(127) and the physical and social context (128) in which the assessment takes place. Studies have shown that ward culture impacts pain assessment practices (126,129) and nurses often attribute deficiencies in pain assessment practices to staffing issues and heavy workloads (15,(130)(131)(132).…”

‘We are nurses, they are doctors’: Barriers to nurses' roles in pain management following surgery in Jordan

“…[19][20][21][22][23] Overall, related literature was generated as a result of theoretical debate rather than empirical investigations.…”

“…Regardless of this, to date, the available studies are largely descriptive, driven by quantitative data, inclusive only of senior nurses, and focused exclusively on chronic pain, cancer and critically ill patients. [19][20][21][22][23] Overall, related literature was generated as a result of theoretical debate rather than empirical investigations.…”