Effectiveness of pain education for nurses
Adriaansen et al. (2005) describe the results of a study that
considered the effect of a postqualification course in palliative
care on the development of knowledge and self-efficacy for
two groups of nurses, Registered Nurses (RN) and Licensed
Practical Nurses (LPN). Pre- and post-course tests for
knowledge and self-efficacy using the self-efficacy instrument
for palliative care (SEP) were conducted. Because of the
difficulty in approaching patients with poor prognosis,
practice effectiveness was determined by measuring the
participants’ satisfaction and knowledge scores. The course
included regular reflective meetings with supervisors to
discuss the practitioners’ own attitudes and progress in
implementing change in the practice setting. The study used
written assignments to demonstrate the nurses’ knowledge
and acquired competencies, as the authors suggested that
these evaluated the quality of palliative care given by the
RNs. The focus of the reflective sessions centred on practical
ways of improving care and involved discussion of the
obstacles to care delivery. The RNs demonstrated an increase
in knowledge, but the greater improvement was noted in their
SEP score. The LPNs demonstrated a greater improvement in
the knowledge and insight test; however, significant increases
in their SEP score did not occur as a result of the educational
input. It is of note that the LPN’s SEP score was higher than
that of the RN’s at the start of the course. The conclusion was
that palliative care courses could make a significant contribution
to nurses’ knowledge and insight, as well as their selfefficacy
in providing palliative care. This begs the question as
to why there is a theory practice divide that results in patients
experiencing pain if the nurses feel that education and clinical
experience increase their knowledge base and self-efficacy.