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Testing a preoperative pain management intervention for elders ¶
Author(s) -
McDonald Deborah Dillon,
Freeland Marjorie,
Thomas Glenda,
Moore Joan
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
research in nursing and health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.836
H-Index - 85
eISSN - 1098-240X
pISSN - 0160-6891
DOI - 10.1002/nur.1040
Subject(s) - pain management , medicine , physical therapy , pain relief , postoperative pain , pain catastrophizing , mcgill pain questionnaire , intervention (counseling) , chronic pain , anesthesia , visual analogue scale , nursing
The investigators examined whether elders who have been taught pain management communication skills and pain management information obtain greater postoperative pain relief than elders not taught this information. Thirty‐one elders were randomly assigned preoperatively to a control or communication group in this posttest‐only experiment with repeated measures. Communication group participants were taught pain management, pain communication skills, and the use of two pain‐intensity scales. Control group participants were taught to use the two pain‐intensity scales. Pain was measured with the McGill Pain Questionnaire Short Form. The communication group elders reported less postoperative pain over the course of their hospital stay. Pain management knowledge alone may have enabled the elders to obtain greater pain relief. Nurses may want to incorporate similar pain management information and pain communication skills when teaching elders how to obtain greater postoperative pain relief. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Res Nurs Health 24:402–409, 2001