PAIN MANAGEMENT OF SURGICAL PATIENTS

ABSTRACT

Pain is described as an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience for an individual, and it serves as a primary symptom leading to the initiation of various diagnoses and treatmentseeking behaviors. This study examined the management of pain in surgical patients by nurses in the surgical wards of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City. The study employed a descriptive survey research design. A purposive sampling technique was utilized to select the study respondents. Data were collected through the use of a self-structured questionnaire. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics and presented in frequency tables, percentages, mean, and standard deviation. The results revealed that the majority (67.6%) of the respondents have a good level of knowledge regarding pain management. This was evident in their responses, as 70.3% accurately assessed the intensity of patient pain and 65.8% were familiar with pain assessment tools. The study also disclosed that the nurses utilized pain scales, with an average mean of 3.04, surpassing the mean cut-off of 2.50 and the nurses have positive approach to pain with overall mean score of 3.44 which is greater than the critical mean of 2.50. In conclusion, this study emphasizes that postoperative pain management is an integral aspect of nursing practice. Therefore, nurses should adopt a holistic approach to postoperative care to enhance the effectiveness of pain management. As a recommendation, the researcher suggests that nurses engage in continuous professional development and ongoing education, focusing on recent evidence-based practices for pain management. Additionally, incorporating these techniques into the nurses’ routine ward rounds would further improve pain management.