The Perception of Nurses and Doctors on a Care Bundle Guideline for Management of Pain in Critical Care

Abstract

DOI: 10.5294/aqui.2013.13.3.2 Objective: The aim of this study was to explore nurses’ and doctors’ perception on using a care bundle as a guideline for the manage- ment of pain in critical care. Despite the development of evidence-based guidelines and protocols on the management of pain in critical care, pain is still a major problem. The introduction of care bundles in critical care has improved the management of ventilated patients. A care bundle in pain management aims to reduce variations in practice. Method: This study employed a qualitative prospective design us- ing a semi-structured, in-depth interview of 23 nurses and doctors in a critical care unit. Result: Four main themes emerged: 1) suitability to the critical care setting; 2) applicability to the critical care setting; 3) ownership of the Pain Care Bundle; and 4) necessity for current practice. The results showed a poor uptake by the healthcare professionals in managing acute pain among critically ill patients. Conclusion: The study found that nurses and doctors did not perceive the pain care bundle as a useful tool for improving pain managment, with evidence pointing to a gap between pain management practice, as described by the care bundle, and actual practice. DOI: 10.5294/aqui.2013.13.3.2

Keywords

• Critical care
• pain
• pain management
• nurses
• perception
• nursing