Survey of pain curricula for healthcare professionals in Norway

Aim: The objective of the present study is to describe the content of pain curricula and the time designated to pain education for different healthcare professionals in Norway. Background: Clinicians encounter the challenge of unrelieved pain frequently, and evidence indicates they lack sufficient knowledge and skills to adequately assess and manage pain. Effective pain management is multifactorial and different health professionals must collaborate to meet the patients’ needs. Methods: The Pain Education Survey was sent to 47 program leaders in Norwegian Health Faculties. The questionnaire consists of six close-ended questions concerning how the faculties organize their pain curricula and eight questions regarding the specific content. Findings: A total of 25 respondents across all healthcare educational institutions in Norway filled in the questionnaire, and the response rate varied between disciplines. Non-mandatory pain education was only reported by physiotherapy and nursing education. The most frequently taught area in all disciplines was non-pharmacological methods. The least taught areas were quality indicators and pain guidelines. Conclusions: This study describes great differences in how Norwegian healthcare educational institutions organize their pain curricula. It is worrying that only half of the respondents could identify clearly which areas were taught about pai

Survey of pain curricula for healthcare professionals in Norway

Aim: The objective of the present study is to describe the content of pain curricula and the time designated to pain education for different healthcare professionals in Norway. Background: Clinicians encounter the challenge of unrelieved pain frequently, and evidence indicates they lack sufficient knowledge and skills to adequately assess and manage pain. Effective pain management is multifactorial and different health professionals must collaborate to meet the patients’ needs. Methods: The Pain Education Survey was sent to 47 program leaders in Norwegian Health Faculties. The questionnaire consists of six close-ended questions concerning how the faculties organize their pain curricula and eight questions regarding the specific content. Findings: A total of 25 respondents across all healthcare educational institutions in Norway filled in the questionnaire, and the response rate varied between disciplines. Non-mandatory pain education was only reported by physiotherapy and nursing education. The most frequently taught area in all disciplines was non-pharmacological methods. The least taught areas were quality indicators and pain guidelines. Conclusions: This study describes great differences in how Norwegian healthcare educational institutions organize their pain curricula. It is worrying that only half of the respondents could identify clearly which areas were taught about pai

The anatomy of safe surgical teams: an interview-based qualitative study among members of surgical teams at tertiary referral hospitals in Norway

Abstract Background In spite of the global implementation of surgical safety checklists to improve patient safety, patients undergoing surgical procedures remain vulnerable to a high risk of potentially preventable complications and adverse outcomes. The present study was designed to explore the surgical teams’ perceptions of patient safety culture, capture their perceptions of the risk for adverse events, and identify themes of interest for quality improvement within the surgical department. Methods This qualitative study had an explorative design with an abductive approach. Individual semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted between 10/01/23 and 11/05/23. The participants were members of surgical teams (n = 17), general and orthopedic surgeons (n = 5), anesthesiologists (n = 4), nurse anesthetists (n = 4) and operating room nurses (n = 4). Middle managers recruited purposively from general and orthopedic surgical teams in two tertiary hospitals in Norway, aiming for a maximum variation due to gender, age, and years within the specialty. The data material was analyzed following Braun and Clarke’s method for reflexive thematic analysis to generate patterns of meaning and develop themes and subthemes. Results The analysis process resulted in three themes describing the participants’ perceptions of patient safety culture in the surgical context: (1) individual accountability as a safety net, (2) psychological safety as a catalyst for well-being and safe performance in the operating room, and (3) the importance of proactive structures and participation in organizational learning. Conclusions This study provided an empirical insight into the culture of patient safety in the surgical context. The study highlighted the importance of supporting the individuals’ competence, building psychological safety in the surgical team, and creating structures and culture promoting a learning organization. Quality improvement projects, including interventions based on these results, may increase patient safety culture and reduce the frequency of adverse events in the surgical context

Additional file 1 of The anatomy of safe surgical teams: an interview-based qualitative study among members of surgical teams at tertiary referral hospitals in Norway

Additional file 1. Mind Map