Measuring knowledge and attitudes of pain in older adults among culturally diverse nursing students

Background Effective pain management is impeded in the Middle East by barriers such as myth, irrationality, ignorance, stigma, and bias. However, it is still controversial whether these barriers are always cultural or simply educational. Aim To examine the differences based on cultural background and demographic characteristics in Jordanian and Nigerian nursing students’ knowledge and attitudes related to pain in older adults. Methods This descriptive-comparative study used the Pain in Older Adults Knowledge Survey (POAKS) and a convenience sample of 221 nursing students (Jordanian n = 110, Nigerian n = 111) to measure students’ knowledge and attitudes related to pain in older adults. Findings The participating Jordanian students had higher POAKS scores than did the Nigerian students. Further, the scores of Jordanian female students were higher than the scores of Nigerian female students. Finally, both Jordanian and Nigerian students who had been admitted to the nursing program post diploma had higher POAKS scores as compared to students who had been admitted post high school. Discussion The findings of the current study add to the evidence that nursing students’ knowledge and attitudes related to pain in older adults are poor and culture-bound. A better understanding of the cultural differences in nursing students’ knowledge and attitudes related to pain may pave the way for redesigning nursing curricula in Jordan and beyond in a way which is culturally sensitive and evidence-based. Conclusion Regardless of their demographic characteristics, nursing students were found to have poor knowledge of pain assessment and management in older adults. However, significant differences based on cultural background were identified between Nigerian and Jordanian students in terms of their knowledge and attitudes related to pain in older adults.