Pain management education in long-term care: it can make a difference.

Long CO.

Pain Manag Nurs. 2013 Dec;14(4):220-7.

Source

Geriatric Consultant, Capstone Healthcare Group and Co-Director, Palliative Care for Advanced Dementia program, Beatitudes Campus, Phoenix, Arizona. Electronic address: carollong@cox.net.

Abstract

Acute and chronic pain management for persons residing in long-term care settings is a serious problem. 

In an effort to change practice in pain management and improve resident outcomes, the Campaign Against Pain education program was instituted at Beatitudes Health Care Center in Phoenix, Arizona. 

In this pilot study, professional and certified nursing assistant (CNA) staff were surveyed before and after the training program to ascertain change in knowledge, attitudes, and barriers about pain. 

After the intensive training program and onsite consultation with the concomitant changes in policies, procedures, and documentation, professional and CNA staff knowledge improved after 6 months (F = 6.273; p = .02), attitudes changed (F = 12.26; p = .002), and barriers were mitigated. 

With a comprehensive quality improvement pain plan in place, the findings suggest that education in pain management in long-term care and program changes that adopt best practices in pain can make a difference.

Copyright © 2013 American Society for Pain Management Nursing. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.