Nurses’ assessment and management practices of pain among intensive care patients in King Khalid Hospital, Kharj, Riyadh

BACKGROUND: Pain is a disagreeable combination of sensory and emotional sensations. Employing behavioral pain assessment tools is strongly associated with improved identification of pain. PURPOSE: The main purpose of the study is to investigate Nurses’ Assessment and Management Practices of Pain among Intensive Care Patients in King Khalid Hospital, Kharj, Riyadh. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A self-administered questionnaire was employed in a descriptive cross-sectional study. The study focused on nurses employed in the intensive care unit at King Khalid Hospital in Al-Kharj Province. The researchers utilized convenience sampling to recruit participants. Out of the total 48 nurses approached 45 of them provided responses, leading to a response rate of 94%. The Critically Ill questionnaire was utilized to gather information regarding the treatment and evaluation of pain in patients who were in critical condition. Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics were employed to analyze the collected data. PRINCIPAL RESULTS: it was found that 88% of them utilized instruments to evaluate pain in patients who could express themselves. Among these instruments, the numeric rating scale was the most commonly employed. Furthermore, 77% of the nurses (35 in total) used a pain assessment tool for patients who were unable to communicate, with the Adult Nonverbal Pain Scale being the most frequently used tool in this case. The nurses' perception of the significance of pain assessment was positively associated with the regular utilization of pain assessment tools. Additionally, the nurses considered the use of pain assessment tools with patients who could communicate as more important compared to using such tools with patients who could not communicate. CONCLUSIONS: Most ICU nurses utilized nurses' pain assessment instruments to assess the discomfort levels of both patients who could communicate and those who couldn't express themselves effectively. By employing such tools, nurses can improve patient outcomes, ensure effective pain management, and demonstrate a high standard of professional care.