Department of Nursing and Midwifery

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Browsing Department of Nursing and Midwifery by browse.metadata.advisor "Cohen, Mary"

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    Knowledge and clinical practice of nurses for adult post-operative orthopaedic pain management
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2012-03) Wulff, Theresa; Cohen, Mary; Stellenberg, E. L.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Health Sciences. Dept. of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences. Nursing Science.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Pain management is a vital component of post-operative nursing care. Orthopaedic patients in particular experience severe pain following surgical intervention. Since effective pain management is crucial in the post-operative recovery of orthopaedic patients, it was essential to explore the knowledge and clinical practice of nurses in orthopaedic wards. The aim of the study was to establish nurses’ knowledge and clinical practice for adult postoperative pain management of orthopaedic patients. A non-experimental, descriptive self-administered survey using a quantitative approach was applied. The total population of N=97 registered professional and enrolled nurses working in dedicated orthopaedic wards in two central hospitals in the Cape Town Metropole district, South Africa were invited to participate in the study. A structured questionnaire was used to collect the data. Reliability and validity was assured by means of a pilot study and consultation with nursing experts and a statistician. Ethical approval was obtained from the Health Research Ethics Committee of the University of Stellenbosch. Permission for access to the hospitals was obtained from the hospital and nursing managers. Informed written consent was obtained from the participants. The data was analysed by the statistician and presented in frequencies, tables and histograms. The variables were compared using either the Pearson chi-square test for differences in nursing category or the Mann-Whitney U-test for differences in years of experience. The analysis of the results illustrated knowledge deficits, inconsistent clinical practices and limited training in post-operative pain management. The recommendations include training courses, revision of the patient’s observation chart and formulation of policies and guidelines for pain management. Appropriate knowledge and clinical skills of nurses are critical to ensure optimal pain management for post-operative orthopaedic patients.