Introduction: Various studies have reported that patients who do not receive adequate symptom management may experience increased psychological distress treatment delays or non-adherence prolonged hospital stay and negative effects on quality of life.
Objective: To investigate the competence of nurses related to the application of professional care in cancer pain assessment.
Materials and methods: The study surveyed 180 nurses working at the Clinical Center – Shumen, Clinical Center Ruse, SBALOZ “Dr. Marko Markov” Varna, Oncology Clinic at the University Hospital “St. Marina” in Varna and 250 hospitalized patients in the same healthcare facilities.
Results and discussion: A large proportion of nurses are willing to provide care to a patient with pain (66%), with the leading need for professional care in patients with pain being opioid medication (28%). Approximately half of the surveyed nurses are prepared to apply rating scale to a patient with cancer (56%). A slight difference was found in the competence of working nurses in assessing pain according to the medical institutions. According to the patients, a large proportion of nurses apply painkillers at a precisely defined time in order to achieve a 24-hour effect of the therapy (66%).
Conclusion: The study shows that pain remains a key challenge in nursing practice, with a significant proportion of nurses expressing the opinion that they are prepared to provide care. There is also a need for additional training for nurses, covering both theoretical knowledge and practical skills including the use of standardized pain assessment to ensure quality care for all patients.
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