Knowledge and attitudes on cancer pain management among nurses at National Cancer Institute Sri Lanka.

BACKGROUND

Effective pain management is crucial in oncology nursing, yet gaps in knowledge and attitudes may affect the quality of care.

OBJECTIVE

To describe knowledge and attitudes on cancer pain management among nurses at NCI Sri Lanka.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey was conducted at the NCI in Sri Lanka among 340 nurses selected using stratified random sampling. Knowledge and attitudes on cancer pain management was assessed using self-administered 41-item Knowledge and Attitudes Survey Regarding Pain (KASRP) questionnaire. Scoring was carried out as per the recommended guidelines and knowledge and attitudes were categorized into three groups as good, moderate, poor using > 75%, 75%- 50% and < 50% as cut-offs. The collected data were analyzed using IBM SPSS version 26.0. Descriptive statistics were calculated, and independent sample t-test followed by one way ANOVA was used to identify associated factors. P-value of < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Ethical approval was obtained by the Research Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka (REC/NSG 06).

RESULTS

The response rate was 80.56%. The majority of participants were females (n = 285, 83.8%), < 35 years (n = 252, 74.1%). Majority (n = 266, 66.5%) had a poor level of knowledge and attitudes on cancer pain management, 31.2% (n = 106) had a moderate level, and only 2.4% (n = 8) had a good level. The mean knowledge and attitude score was 19.2 (4.35). Nurses with a BSc degree or higher (p = .011) and nurses working in wards (p = .003) exhibited a significantly higher knowledge and attitudes score. Significant differences were also found across educational levels (p = .038), with BSc nurses outperforming Diploma holders. However, age, gender, total working experience, experience at NCI, and previous training on pain management did not show any significant associations. Multinomial logistic regression showed educational level and current working station as significant predictors.

CONCLUSION

Significant gaps in knowledge and attitudes towards cancer pain management existed among nurses at the NCI in Sri Lanka. These findings highlight the need for targeted educational interventions to improve the knowledge and attitudes of nurses in managing cancer pain to enhance the quality of oncology care.