Baulch, I, (2010). Assessment and management of pain in the paediatric patient. Nursing Standard, 25(10): 35-40.
The research question is: in pediatric departments how can the recognition of acute and chronic pain of patients compared to the settings where the children’s pain is underestimated affect the pain management strategies.
The purpose of this study was to explore the pain physiology for discussing the most effective assessment tools, including the physiological, psychological and behavioral measurements which can be used for examining children, evaluating their condition and selecting the most appropriate interventions for the pain management. The research findings are valuable for enhancing the nurses’ understanding of their role in not only providing interventions, but also educating children and their parents on pain management.
Ellis, J., McCleary, L., Blouin, R., Rowley, B., MacNeil, M. and Cooke, C. (2007). Implementing best practice pain management in a pediatric hospital. Journal for Specialists in Pediatric Nursing, 12(4): 264- 277.
The research question of this study is: in pediatric departments how does the implementation of a comprehensive pain management program (CPMP) compared with traditional methods affect nursing pain management practices.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of CPMP for improving the nursing practices in pediatric departments. The results of the systematic evaluation have shown the success of the program for overcoming the nurses’ barriers to effective pain management. The practical implementation of research findings can be the organization of multi-disciplinary pain committee and using the method of local champions for creating positive atmosphere.
MacLaren, J., Lindsey, C., Larkin, K. and Shelton, E. (2008). Training nursing students in evidence-based techniques for cognitive-behavioral pediatric pain management. Journal of Nursing Education, 47(8): 351-358.
The research question of this study can be formulated as follows: in nursing students how does a didactic training program compare with the pretraining level affect the awareness and attitudes toward pain management.
The purpose of the article was to determine whether didactic training on evidence-based strategies can enhance students’ knowledge on cognitive-behavioral pain management techniques and improve their practical. This article discusses the gaps in the existing educational nursing programs and points out the advantages of the evidence-based training for settling the problem. This study is valuable for enhancing understanding of the importance of pain management and can be used for improving the standard curricula.
The study conducted by Piazza et al (2006) was aimed at exploring the existing differences in the nurses’ perceptions of certification and empowerment and the corresponding impact upon their motivation and professional performance. The study consists of a literature review which provides valuable background information, the discussion of methodology, the evaluation of the retrieved results and conclusions. The questionnaires were used for measuring the perception of empowerment in registered and unregistered nurses and comparing the achieved results.
A descriptive comparative study was the research design chosen by the scholars for covering the research problem. This method was effective for collecting and evaluating the necessary information and was properly described in the article. The research design was carefully described by the scholars, and proper argumentation was used for explaining the rationale for choosing this research method.
The chosen design was appropriate for achieving the research goals and it can be stated that the study measures what it was intended to measure. According to the findings of the study, the certification results in the improved access to the job-related resources. Taking into account the statistically significant differences between the perceptions of empowerment in certified and non-certified nurses, the researchers concluded that certification can have a positive impact upon the nurses’ perception of empowerment and their working performance in general.
This study demonstrates that the choice of research design can play an important role in achieving the research goals and supporting the hypothesis by not only collecting the necessary evidence, but also structuring it logically.