Nurses’ Perspectives Toward Use of Intravenous Patient- Controlled Analgesia for the Management of Pain After Surgery: Content Analysis of Open-Ended Survey Questions

Objective: To explore the perspectives of registered nurses on intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (IV-PCA) treatment for patients after surgery. Material and Methods: Data were collected from 270 registered nurses working in a university hospital in southern Thailand. The text data were interpreted using qualitative content analysis. Results: Three themes emerged regarding nurses’ perceived barriers and facilitators to the use of IV-PCA treatment after surgery. Additionally, five main themes arose from the data pertaining to nurses’ roles and responsibilities. The development and enhancement of nurses’ knowledge and skills related to IV-PCA treatment included the following: the basic principles of IV-PCA treatment, proper patient selection, patient education, standardized and appropriate IV-PCA prescriptions, administration of opioid analgesics and management of side effects, setup of the PCA pump, preparation and change of the PCA syringe, safe nursing management of patients undergoing IV-PCA treatment, assessment and handling of opioid-induced over-sedation and respiratory depression, administration of naloxone, as well as IV-PCA documentation and the analysis and interpretation of that documentation. Conclusion: To enhance the safety and effectiveness of IV-PCA treatment, nurses should undergo thorough education and a training program.