Purpose: Pain is a symptom that should be evaluated along with its comorbidities in order to plan an effective holistic treatment strategy involving specific pharmacological interventions, side effect management, psychological support, control of therapeutic effects over time, and dialogue with the patient and their relatives. In this holistic process of caring for patients with pain, nurses play a central role as they deal with suffering patients directly and continuously. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the types of pain identified by nurses in their daily clinical practice and the associated comorbidities (anamnestic history taking) by geographical region and to evaluate the pharmacological strategies used. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was performed among 696 registered nurses in Italy. Data were collected using an online questionnaire. Results: There was a significant difference between geographical regions in terms of reports of acute and chronic pain: acute pain was more frequently reported in the South (63.5%), while chronic pain was more frequent in the Central region (32.3%; p=0.0008). Additionally, chronic oncological pain was more frequent in the Northeast (29.6%), while chronic non-oncological pain was more frequently reported in the Central region (33.9%; p=0.0001). The underlying pain disorders reported were also different between geographical regions; rheumatic pain (21.8%) and neurological pain (18.6%) were more frequent in the Central region, while musculoskeletal pain was significantly more frequent in the South (43.4%; p=0.004). Anxiety, sleep disorders and somatization were found in acute pain (60.82%, 43.56% and 53.12%), while depression and mood disorders were more frequently detected in chronic pain condition (p< 0.001). Conclusion: Our study showed differences among Italian regions in pain assessment. Specific education on pain management nursing is essential for nurses. Promotion of optimal nursing care for people affected by pain is the main focus of pain management nursing. Nowadays, nurses should focus on personalized complex care and research in order to improve the patient’s quality of life.

Assessment of Pain and Associated Comorbidities: A Survey of Real Life Experiences Among Nurses in Italy

Ciccozzi, Alessandra;Marinangeli, Franco;Altobelli, Emma
2021-01-01

Abstract

Purpose: Pain is a symptom that should be evaluated along with its comorbidities in order to plan an effective holistic treatment strategy involving specific pharmacological interventions, side effect management, psychological support, control of therapeutic effects over time, and dialogue with the patient and their relatives. In this holistic process of caring for patients with pain, nurses play a central role as they deal with suffering patients directly and continuously. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the types of pain identified by nurses in their daily clinical practice and the associated comorbidities (anamnestic history taking) by geographical region and to evaluate the pharmacological strategies used. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was performed among 696 registered nurses in Italy. Data were collected using an online questionnaire. Results: There was a significant difference between geographical regions in terms of reports of acute and chronic pain: acute pain was more frequently reported in the South (63.5%), while chronic pain was more frequent in the Central region (32.3%; p=0.0008). Additionally, chronic oncological pain was more frequent in the Northeast (29.6%), while chronic non-oncological pain was more frequently reported in the Central region (33.9%; p=0.0001). The underlying pain disorders reported were also different between geographical regions; rheumatic pain (21.8%) and neurological pain (18.6%) were more frequent in the Central region, while musculoskeletal pain was significantly more frequent in the South (43.4%; p=0.004). Anxiety, sleep disorders and somatization were found in acute pain (60.82%, 43.56% and 53.12%), while depression and mood disorders were more frequently detected in chronic pain condition (p< 0.001). Conclusion: Our study showed differences among Italian regions in pain assessment. Specific education on pain management nursing is essential for nurses. Promotion of optimal nursing care for people affected by pain is the main focus of pain management nursing. Nowadays, nurses should focus on personalized complex care and research in order to improve the patient’s quality of life.
File in questo prodotto:
File Dimensione Formato  
f_jpr-245792-assessment-of-pain-and-associated-comorbidities-a-survey-of_65933.pdf

accesso aperto

Tipologia: Documento in Versione Editoriale
Licenza: Dominio pubblico
Dimensione 305.77 kB
Formato Adobe PDF
305.77 kB Adobe PDF Visualizza/Apri
Pubblicazioni consigliate

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11697/155302
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus 1
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 1
social impact