A qualitative understanding of nurses’ challenges with pain management

Background Studies have shown that providers deliver inadequate pain management, which is important since ineffective pain management can lead to patient safety concerns and negative health outcomes. There is a gap in the literature understanding the specific details of nurses’ struggles treating patients who need help with pain management. Methods This qualitative descriptive study assessed nurses’ challenges with pain management to provide a comprehensive, low-inference summary of the data. Participants were interviewed about their biggest challenges. Findings Three main themes emerged from the data: prescribing patterns, education on zero pain, and system problems. Major challenges identified in this study were understanding nurses’ perceptions of pain management care delivery and the need for quality pain management education. Discussion The health community needs to raise awareness and provide more comprehensive education regarding the nurse’ role in pain management.