Interventions for nurse-related barriers in cancer pain management

Abstract

Purpose/Objectives: To describe the findings and critique the studies of interventions for nursing staff to improve pain management in adults with cancer. Data Sources: Publications were identified through database searches. Studies that describe interventions to overcome nurse-related barriers in cancer pain management practices were included in this review. Data Synthesis: Nine studies were found that met the inclusion criteria. All studies were experimental and conducted from 1993-2013. Conclusions: Increase in knowledge, change of attitudes and behaviors, and good relationships with specialists were found to be influential in overcoming existing nursing barriers to pain management in cancer survivors. Educational interventions are more effective in increasing knowledge than in improving attitudes. Specialists were acknowledged as important resources and role models for nurses, particularly when trust was established between the two. Implications for Nursing: A number of interventions have been developed to address healthcare provider barriers. However, scarce literature exists on whether interventions that aim to overcome nurse-related barriers have been successful. This literature review provides critical insights on the effectiveness of interventions aimed to overcome barriers to effective pain management by nurses for adults with cancer.