Student nurses' knowledge, attitudes, and self-efficacy of children's pain management: evaluation of an education program in Taiwan.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a pediatric pain education program (PPEP) for student nurses. The sample consisted of 181 licensed student nurses who were enrolled in a nursing school in Taiwan. Student nurses attended a 4-hour PPEP that involved case scenario discussion, video, and lecture. Data were collected by an extensive questionnaire that assessed student nurses' knowledge of, attitudes toward, and self-efficacy in pediatric pain assessment and pharmacological and nonpharmacological pain management. The results demonstrated that student nurses gained significant knowledge of pediatric pain, expressed more appropriate attitudes, and reported greater self-efficacy in children's pain management after attending PPEP. Their knowledge of analgesic pharmacotherapy did not significantly improve. These results suggest that PPEP should be integrated into pediatric nursing curricula to enhance knowledge and skills regarding children's pain management during the early stage of a nursing career.