Knowledge of Nursing Staff on Postoperative Pain: The Case of the Laquintinie Hospital in Douala, Cameroon

Abstract

Background and objective: Pain is a major concern in the surgical environment, but its management remains insufficient due to several factors related to the nursing staff, the organization of the structure or the patient himself. The objective of this study was to assess the knowledge of the nursing staff on postoperative pain at the Laquintinie Hospital in Douala. Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study carried out at the Laquintinie Hospital in Douala from September to December 2018. Participants were consecutively selected among members of nursing staff in charge of operated patients in the visceral surgery, trauma surgery, surgical reanimation, gynaecology and obstetrics services. Socio-professional data and data related to knowledge of postoperative pain were collected from this personnel using a pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire. Results: With regard to knowledge of postoperative pain, the proportion of correct answers to the knowledge questions was 61.4%. This proportion varied significantly with the specific training received on pain and the specialization of the nursing staff (p < 0.001). Conclusion: The results of the study reveal knowledge in this population that deserves to be improved with a view to better management of patients undergoing surgery.

Effect of Educational Guidelines on Nurses' Performance for patients with Chronic Pancreatitis

“…This is in the same line with Reyad et al, (2022) who reported that most of studied nurses' ages ranged between 20 to30 years old. On the other hand, Houmkoua et al, (2021) who found that about one third of nurses were aged from 30 to35 years old.…”

“…Finally, ongoing monitoring provides opportunities to detect complications at earlier stages. (Houmkoua, Mbouemboue, Oumarou, Essome, & Balep, 2021).…”