The impact of preoperative education by a nurse led Acute Pain Service on pain management for cardiac surgical patients

Abstract

The aim of this research was to compare the pain experience of cardiac surgical patients who attended the Acute Pain Service (APS) education program with cardiac surgical patients who did not attend the APS. The participants of both groups, pain levels, consumption of total analgesia, anxiety levels, satisfaction with pain management, ratios of self-administered bolus doses and failed attempts on Patient Controlled Analgesia (PCA) device and their length of hospital stay were compared. The findings indicated no statistical significant differences between the two groups being investigated in relation to pain levels, total analgesia consumed, anxiety levels, satisfaction with pain management, total demands and delivery attempts on the PCA and their length of hospital stay. The clinical mplications are significant. The preoperative pain management education program provided by APS clinical nurses for cardiac surgical patients does not have the positive outcomes expected