Comparison of pain assessments made by patients and nurses in emergency services

Abstract

Aim: This research aimed to compare pain assessments made by patients and by nurses. Method: This descriptive and comparative research was conducted in a state, a university and a private hospital emergency service monitoring unit that had the highest number of patient admissions in Ankara, Turkey. The research sample consisted of 175 patients and 35 nurses. For the collection of data, the following sources were consulted: the patient information form, the nurse information form and the McGill Pain Questionnaire. For evaluation of the data, number and percentage calculations, chi-square analysis, kappa compliance analysis and the Wilcoxon sign test were used. Written consent was received from the ethical council and hospitals as well as from nurses and patients. Results: 74.3% of nurses stated that they do not think that the pain level expressed by the patient is always right. While the point average given by patients related to all dimensions define the characteristics of pain was 20.48 ± 10.10, the average given by nurses was 14.35 ± 8.46. There is a statistically significant difference between the point averages given by patients and nurses related to total dimensions of pain characteristics (p<0.05). Conclusion: As a result, pain evaluations of nurses were found to be significantly lower than those of patients. It is suggested that the policies and procedures used in health personnel education institutes and health institutes related to pain management should be improved.