Objective: This survey aims to identify the levels of knowledge and attitudes among nurses regarding\ncancer pain management. Methods: This cross-sectional survey was undertaken at King\nAbdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, between September 4 and September 27, 2015. The survey\ninstrument was a pre-set questionnaire comprising 39 closed-ended format questions. Participants\nwere asked questions to assess their knowledge and attitudes about cancer pain management\nand adherence to frequent misconceptions regarding opioid therapy. The chi-square test\nwas used to compare differences between variables. Results: One hundred twenty-eight questionnaires\nwere completed and analyzed. A mean sample score of 41.3% was achieved on pain-related\nknowledge questions. The average score on all 39 questions was 16.1 �± 4.6 (range, 0 - 24). Nurses\non the male medical ward were most knowledgeable compared with those on other wards (p <\n0.001). They were also most likely to score highest on questions that assessed knowledge of pain\nmanagement (p < 0.001). Conversely, nurses on the female surgical ward were most likely to score\nhighest on issues related to pain assessment (p < 0.001) and experience in managing breakthrough\ncancer pain (p < 0.001). Likewise, nurses on the male surgical and female medical wards\nappeared to be more knowledgeable on issues related to patient compliance (p = 0.002). Conclusion:\nOptimization of inpatient supportive procedures should be a specific task at King Abdulaziz\nUniversity Hospital until an oncology unit with nurses specialized in cancer care is established.
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