Pain knowledge and attitudes among pediatric nurses: A conceptual perspective

Türkçe

Aim: This study aimed to evaluate nurses' knowledge and attitudes towards pain in pediatric clinics. Method: A mixed-methods design was used, incorporating both quantitative and qualitative methods. The study sample comprised 77 nurses working in pediatric clinics at a university hospital in Türkiye. Data were collected in person between December 2021 and December 2022 using the nurse descriptive information form, the metaphor questionnaire and the Pediatric Pain Knowledge and Attitude Scale. Data evaluation was conducted using two distinct analytical approaches: Descriptive statistical analyses were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics 26, while metaphor analysis was used to conceptualise pain. A concept map for pain metaphors was created using the Whimsical website. Results: The mean age of the nurses participating in the study was 27.22 ± 4.04 years. The majority of nurses were female (87%), and 61% had obtained a bachelor's degree. The data indicates that 53.2% of nurses had worked for 1–5 years, 57.1% had worked in pediatric clinics for 1–5 years, and 62.3% expressed a desire to work in pediatric wards. The mean score for the nurses on the pediatric pain knowledge and attitude scale was 32.74 ± 17.14, which was below the midpoint of the scale. A total of 40 metaphors were produced in response to an examination of their perceptions of the concept of pain. Conclusion: Despite nurses employed in pediatric clinics utilising pain assessment methodologies, their expertise and dispositions concerning pediatric pain were found to be inadequate. However, the metaphor analysis of the concept of pain revealed that the participants did not experience any difficulty in defining pain and were able to produce metaphors.