Evaluation of the relationship between intensive care nurses' pain management self-efficacy and perceptions of opioid drug administration

Pain remains an untreatable problem for intensive care patients. Intensive care nurses have an important role in assessing and managing pain, as they spend 24/7 time with patients. The self-efficacy of nurses in pain management, the lack of knowledge and negative perceptions of opioid drugs that are frequently used in intensive care units may also negatively affect pain management. As far as we know, the perceptions of intensive care nurses towards opioid drug use and their self-efficacy in pain management have not been discussed before. We aimed to determine the self-efficacy of intensive care nurses in pain management and their perceptions of opioid drug administration. This descriptive and correlational study was conducted in a city hospital in Istanbul between January–March 2023. The sample consists of 142 intensive care nurses working in the 2nd and 3rd level intensive care units and volunteering to participate. “The Perception of Opioid Drug Questionnaire” and “Pain Management Self-Efficacy Scale” were used. The median age of the nurses was 27 years. Most of the nurses (93%) had a Bachelor's degree. Working experience was 3(IQR:1.5–3.6) years. 64.8% of nurses worked in 3rd level intensive care units. Most of the nurses (86.6%) were trained on pain management. About half of the nurses (47.9%) observed opioid drug-related side effect. The Pain Management Self efficacy score was 87(IQR: 78.75–98). A poor correlation was found between the Pain Management Self-Efficacy Scale score and the age of nurses (r = 0.211, p = 0.012). When the nurses' perceptions of opioid drug were examined; 81.1% of nurses stated that having knowledge about opioid drugs gives them more confidence during the administration of the drug, 76.8% of them know the side effects while applying opioid drugs, and 69% of them stated that they should trust the doctor who ordered the drug to be comfortable during the administration of the opioid. In addition, we observed that nurses' age, work experience, level of intensive care, training on pain management, and observing opioid-related side effects were predictors of the perception of opioid drugs. Self-efficacy of the intensive care nurses in pain management was good. Nurses' perceptions of opioid drug administration were affected by age, working years, level of intensive care, training on pain management, and observing opioid-related side effects. For effective pain management in intensive care units, it is recommended to provide nurses wi