Hospital Chaplains, Spirituality, and Pain Management: A Qualitative Study.

BACKGROUND: Nurses include spirituality in holistic nursing care of persons in pain. However, there is a lack of awareness of spiritual suffering and the role of chaplains and spiritual care in pain management. AIM: The purpose of this pilot is to report hospital chaplains' qualitative report of spirituality and pain management in an acute care setting. METHOD: This qualitative inquiry pilot involved guided interviews of hospital chaplains on their role in pain management. A thematic analysis was performed. RESULTS: Spiritual suffering in people in pain was the dominant theme. This included spiritual fear, and nurses suffering as a witness to pain. Chaplain interventions was a theme that involved spiritual support to persons in pain. CONCLUSIONS: Spiritual suffering can occur in people in pain. An early consultation with hospital chaplains can augment pain management. A person in pain may experience spiritual suffering and a chaplain can provide the appropriate assessment and intervention.

The Evaluation of Undergraduate Nursing Students' Knowledge of Post-op Pain Management after Participation in Simulation.

The purpose of this paper was to assess undergraduate nursing students' pain knowledge after participation in a simulation scenario. The Knowledge and Attitudes of Survey Regarding Pain (KASRP) was used to assess pain knowledge. In addition, reflective questions related to the simulation were examined. Student preferences for education method and reactions to the simulation (SIM) were described. Undergraduate nursing students' knowledge of pain management is reported as inadequate. An emerging pedagogy used to educate undergraduate nurses in a safe, controlled environment is simulation. Literature reports of simulation to educate students' about pain management are limited. As part of the undergraduate nursing student clinical coursework, a post-operative pain management simulation, the SIM was developed. Students were required to assess pain levels and then manage the pain for a late adolescent male whose mother's fear of addiction was a barrier to pain management. The students completed an anonymous written survey that included selected questions from the KASRP and an evaluation of the SIM experience. The students' mean KASRP percent correct was 70.4% ± 8.6%. Students scored the best on items specific to pain assessment and worst on items specific to opiate equivalents and decisions on PRN orders. The students' overall KASRP score post simulation was slightly better than previous studies of nursing students. These results suggest that educators should consider simulations to educate about pain assessment and patient/family education. Future pain simulations should include more opportunities for students to choose appropriate pain medications when provided PRN orders.

Content analyses of a priori qualitative phantom limb pain descriptions and emerging categories in mid-southerners with limb loss.

PURPOSE: The purposes of this descriptive study were (a) to identify the relative frequencies of a priori categories of phantom limb pain (PLP) quality descriptors reported by Mid-Southerners with limb loss, (b) to analyze their descriptions for emerging categories of PLP, and (c) to identify the relative frequencies of the emerging categories. DESIGN: This cross-sectional descriptive verbal survey assessed PLP descriptors. A content analyses determined relative frequencies of a priori PLP descriptors as well as emerging categories that were identified. FINDINGS: The most common a priori PLP quality descriptors reported by 52 amputees with PLP were intermittent, tingling/needles/numb, sharp, cramping, burning, and stabbing. The most common emerging categories reported were pain compared to illness/injury, electrical cyclical, and manipulated/positional. CONCLUSION: The detailed descriptions of PLP provide insight into the vivid experiences of PLP. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Rehabilitation nurses can use this information with PLP assessment, patient teaching, and counseling.