Nurses\u27 Attitudes, Knowledge, and Use of Nonpharmalogical Pain Management Techniques and Therapies

Each day millions of people suffer from pain whether they are in the hospital, their homes, or assisted living facilities. The experience of pain negatively influences their daily lives. As nurses and physicians interact with patients and families, they assess and treat their pain. Nurses and physicians attitudes and knowledge of pain management can affect their patient\u27s treatment options. Most of the time drugs are prescribed to relieve the pain including narcotics and non-steroidal anti-inflammatories. However, pain is often under-treated and patients continue to suffer from the ill effects of pain and lack of management (Yates et aI., 1998). Nonpharmacological pain management therapies are increasing in popularity; however, medical personnel as well as patient\u27s knowledge of these therapies are not well researched. Physicians and nurses level of knowledge and attitudes of nonpharmacological pain management greatly affects whether a patient is given these options. Nonpharmacological pain therapies and techniques have great potential to relieve someone\u27s pain and can be used with or without pharmacological methods. There are many benefits to using nonpharmacological methods in relieving pain, therefore, the barriers keeping patients, nurses, and physicians from using them need to be explored. Nurses\u27 attitudes and knowledge ofnonpharmacological pain management therapies needs to be assessed, and any deficits identified need to be rectified so patients have access to other options to more effectively manage their pain