Knowledge and Attitudes of Critical Care Nurses Regarding Pain Management in Saudi Arabia.

Background: Approximately five million patients on yearly basis are being admitted to the critical care unit around the world. Around (77%) of these patients suffer from pain during their stay in critical care units. Undertreated pain aggravates anxiety, sleep deprivation, agitation, delirium, and depression that often lead to a chronic condition. There are various barriers toward recognition and proper management of pain such as sedation, the presence of endotracheal tube, healthcare providers lack of knowledge etc. Therefore, it becomes essential for the nurses to have the required knowledge related to pain, valid pain assessment tools, and proper management. Objective: The present study aimed at investigating the critical care nurses' knowledge and attitude towards pain management at a university hospital in Saudi Arabia. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional design of 112 nurses working at intensive care units and emergency department. The data collected using a knowledge and attitude regarding pain (KASRP) survey. Results: Majority of nurses had inadequate knowledge regarding pain management. Among 112 nurses, only 8 nurses (7.1%) were with good level of knowledge compared by 54 nurses (48.2%) with poor level of knowledge. Results showed significant association between knowledge and attitude and the current position in the ICU (p=0.043). Conclusion: It is mandatory to monitor nurses' pain management knowledge continuously. As well as to emphasis significance of an educational programs that serve nursing practice.

Assessing the Work Activities Related to Musculoskeletal Disorder among Critical Care Nurses.

Nurses are physically exhausted with an incidence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), especially those working in critical care units that require exhaustive physical efforts to fulfill patients' needs. The current study aims to assess work activities related to the occurrence of MSDs in nurses working in critical care units. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample of 100 nurses of critical care units, and the data were collected via a survey questionnaire. The study was conducted at King Fahad University Hospital for three months from February to April 2019. The study findings revealed that work activities related to MSD were associated with sociodemographic data, age, and neck pain (rho = 0.063) (p=0.03) and lower back pain (rho = 0.89) (p=0.03); education level with hip/thigh pain (rho = 0.64) (p=0.03); standing time with shoulder pain (rho = 0.66) (p=0.04), wrist/hand pain (rho = -0.75) (p=0.05), hip/thigh pain (rho = -0.78) (p=0.004), and knee pain (rho = -0.77) (p=0.005). An increased prevalence of MSDs with lower back pain (92%) and upper back pain (56%) was estimated among the nurses, and a negative impact of work-related MSDs on occupational health and daily life activities of the nurses was also observed. The study concluded that the occurrence of MSDs is significantly associated with sociodemographic data: age, BMI experience level, and educational level of nurses of critical care units.