EFFECTS OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM ON NURSES' KNOWLEDGE REGARDING PAIN MANAGEMENT FOR PATIENTS WITH CANCER AT THE NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE OF GEZIRA UNIVERSITY

Hayat Fadllalah Mukhtar* and Mohammed Abdelkrim Adam Abdelmalik

ABSTRACT

Background: Pain is one of the most common symptoms in cancer patients. Nurses play an essential role in assessment and management of pain. Lack of nurses' knowledge about pain concepts is one of the barriers to effective pain management. Ineffective pain management has adverse effects on a patient's life, such as physiological, psychological and social, increasing the cost burden, prolonging the patient's stay within the hospital and poor health outcomes. Objective: To assess effectiveness of training program on nurses' knowledge regarding pain management for patients with cancer. Methodology: A quasi-experimental study was carried out before and after the training program for one group of nurses at the National Cancer Institute of the University of Gezira in Wadmadani City from 2014 to 2018. The study included sixty-one nurses selected by total coverage. The intended educational program was designed for two weeks duration. The program contained various aspects of pain management such as basic knowledge of pain concepts, assessment, and approaches. The program was well executed in a total of 32 hours by conducting 4 hours per day and four days in week. To evaluate effects of the educational program on nurses' knowledge which was assessed at three phases, pretest, posttest one and posttest two of the educational program. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire before and after educational program. The data were analyzed by SPSS program (version 23). Results: The results revealed that the overall mean score of nurses' knowledge at pretest was low (47.99 ± 5.83). After the education program, the overall mean score of nurses' knowledge increased at posttest one (81.53 ±5.75); and after 3 months at posttest two also increased (94.41 ±5.67). There were high significant differences between the mean scores of pre-test, post-test one and post-test two at p-value (p < 0.000). Conclusion: The study concluded that the training program that applied has a significant effect on the improving of nurses' knowledge regarding cancer pain concepts, assessment and management. Recommendation: Continuous training program need to be provided for nurses working in oncology units to upgrade their knowledge regarding cancer pain management.

Keywords: Cancer pain management, nurses, knowledge, educational program.