Problem Statement
Pain management has been an intricate part to a patient undergoing operation, consequently proper education should be provided to the patients to enable them cope psychologically for postoperative pain scores. Incorrect use of certain analgesics has also led to an increase In patients going through pain due to lack of proper knowledge on the patients handling of pain and how to manage him/her.
Hypothesis
Pre-operative education has a pain relief effect on patients’ postoperative pain scores.
Research Done
Research has been done on specific types of operation, in October 1998 research was done to determine the outcome of patient controlled analgesia post operatively, it was concluded that the education provided to the patient before the operation had no effect on the pain scores but use of the analgesics reduced the pain (Marc, 2007).
Shuldham and Hobbs (2009) performed a randomized test on patients to determine the effect of Pre-operative education on patients undergoing cardiac surgery to determine their post operative pain scores. They then concluded that there was not much benefit from the form of pre-operative education and that other forms of education involving assessment of the patient throughout admission and post admission should be performed (Pierce, Lundy & Palanisamy, 2009).
Recommendations
Intervention into the program to enable continuous education from preadmission, admission and post admission should be done to determine the effects of providing knowledge to the patient and the post operative management to pain (Shuldham, 2001). Other researches should be done to determine if there can be a way of modifying the patients’ response to pain through other forms of education like CD-ROMs, videos to enhance patient satisfaction.
Guidelines should also be put to provide education to the patient on emergency response to pain (Janey, Lisa, Tremblay & Bowers, 2007). A study should be conducted to determine if education to close relatives or friends to the patient can enable or enhance pain relief and provide total satisfaction to the patient (Marc, 2007). Furthermore, an intervention should be initiated to include both male and female patients undergoing operations and performing pain assessment tests. Consequently, different modes of detecting pain should be determined to provide the health care professional with a range of information on how to educate the patient pre and post operatively.
Benefit of research
A simple quick Pre-operative education would help in establishing reactions on the patients after the operation and enable the health worker know how to handle the patient after the operation. The study would also enable an individual to evaluate usefulness of Pre-operative education to predict post operative pain. Pre-operative education would provide the healthcare worker or caregiver with further information on how to handle a specific patient according to her pain scores and also help in management (Janey, Lisa, Tremblay & Bowers, 2007).
In certain situations educating a patient and getting full knowledge of the patient by examinations and assessments aids in identifying the amount of analgesic a specific individual would use, this thus may reduce costs, induce pain due to incorrect measurement of analgesic (Watson, Bonnie, Katz, Costello & Graham, 2005).
Implementation
Pre-operative education should be undertaken to every individual involved through the operation procedure including family members of the patient to enhance management of pain by both parties. Emphasis should be put on the literature being provided to the patient and frequently be reviewed by professional health workers (Zuyack, James & Francke, 1998). Professional health workers should be trained in handling different kind of patients depending on sex and age, cultural backgrounds of patients to undergo operations. Other forms of education should be established and every health professional handling the patient preadmission to post admission for operation should be well trained to provide efficient education to the patient analgesic (Watson, Bonnie, Katz, Costello & Graham, 2005).
They will also be taken through tests on how to assess the patient on pain progression and know how to educate the patient on how to manage the pain with every stage (Griffin, Brennan & McShane, 2004). Frequent assessments, intervention according to reactions on pain should be done to manage pain. Use of pamphlets, videos and through basic counseling would provide efficient education. An effective Pre-operative education begins with when the patient is admitted and called for the operation by the doctor (preadmission) through preparation stages to the theatre by a nurse with frequent assessment of the patient (Zuyack, James & Francke, 1998).
References
AORN Journal
Volume 90, Issue 3 , Pages 381-387, 2009. AORN Journal.
Volume 90, Issue 3 , Pages 381-387, 2009. Bottom of Form.
Top of Form
Griffin, M. J., Brennan, L., & McShane, A.J. (2004). Pre-operative education: Outcome of patient controlled analgesia. Journal for study of pain, 109(1), 73-85.
Janey, A., Lisa, M., Tremblay., & Bowers, D. (2007). Patient Education and counseling: A Pre-operative assessment and education program. New York: St. Martins Press.
Marc, L., Schweizer, A., Ellenberger, C., Tschopp, J., Diaper, J., & Clergue, F. (2007). Perioperative medical management of patients with COPD. International Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, 2(4), 493–515.
Pierce, M., Lundy, S., & Palanisamy, A. (2009). Pain and satisfaction: Pre-operative teaching received and valued in a day surgery setting. AORN, 77(3), 563–582.
Shuldham, C. M. (2001). Therapeutic communication in nursing profession: Pre-operative education for the patient having coronary artery bypass surgery, Patient Education Council, 23(2), 229–374.
Watson, J., Bonnie, S., Katz, J., Costello, J., Reid, G., & Tirone, D. (2005). Inhibition in expressing pain: Impact of pre-operative education on pain outcomes after coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 7(2), 48-97.
Zuyack, G.O., James, P., & Francke, A.L. (1998). Post cesarean section: Pain prediction by pre-operative experimental pain assessment. Canadian Journal of Anesthesia, 45(10), 43-89.