Nurse’s Knowledge of Morphine Use and Pain Management: Cross-sectional Study

Background Pain is a major cause of stress for people who are hospitalized. Research on Indian nurses’ knowledge of pain management is scarce. Objectives The primary objective was to ascertain the nurses’ knowledge about pain management and morphine use. Secondary objectives included assessing the correlation of palliative care knowledge scores with demographic variables. Materials and Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Rishikesh. There were 70 nursing officers involved who were working in chronic kidney disease (CKD) units, medical and surgical wards, and intensive care units, among other areas, and data collection was done via an online Google Form data sheet. Results The mean age of the 70 participating nursing officers was 28.5 years; they were female, had 6 months to 2 years of experience (43, 61%), and had not completed any palliative care courses (49, 70%) or attended any sessions (49, 70%). The modified palliative care knowledge questionnaire was validated and found reliable (0.85). 72%, or 50 nurses, had a moderate degree of understanding about palliative care. Gender (0.009*), years of experience (0.000*), completion of palliative courses (0.013*), attendance at palliative care sessions (0.012*), family income (0.000*), and type of family (0.004*) showed a significant association with knowledge score at the 0.05 level of significance. Conclusion The results of the study suggested that the nurses’ knowledge about pain management and morphine use was moderate. Inadequate palliative care education in the nursing program may result in a moderate degree of expertise. With the help of more research, courses that will enhance nursing students’ understanding and skills in higher education can also be created and assist nursing educators in modifying their curricula to enhance nurses’ performance in this area.