背景 疼痛是第五生命徵象,也是急診病人常見的醫療問題。雖然研究指出急診醫護人員疼痛處理知識對病人疼痛的照護品質有相當程度的影響,但國內對此疼痛處理知識與影響因素的探討仍屬少見。目的 了解急診醫護人員的疼痛處理知識情形,及探索影響其疼痛處理知識之因素。方法 以橫斷式相關性研究設計,運用自擬之結構式問卷與方便取樣(convenient sampling),對國內北部三家醫院之201位急診室醫護人員進行資料收集。結果 急診醫護人員的疼痛處理知識得分平均為63.28/100分。急診醫護人員的教育程度、身份別以及疼痛教育課程來源會影響其疼痛知識得分。結論/實務應用 研究結果顯示急診醫護人員的疼痛處理知識仍有待充實,而知識的影響因子可提供醫院在疼痛教育課程設計、臨床實務、未來相關研究之參考。
Background: Pain has been integrated as the fifth vital sign that is a common health problem for emergency room patients. Although prior studies have addressed the effects of the pain-management knowledge of emergency room staffs on the quality of pain care, there is a dearth of research on pain management knowledge and on the factors that influence this knowledge. Purpose: To explore the knowledge of emergency room staffs regarding pain management and the factors that influence this knowledge. Method: This cross-sectional study used a self-developed questionnaire to survey a convenience sample of 201 physicians and nurses from three emergency rooms in northern Taiwan. Results: The average score for pain-management knowledge was 63.28 out of 100. Demographic variables including education level, professional specialty, and sources of pain education had significant effects on participants’ pain-management knowledge. Conclusions / Implications for Practice: The knowledge of emergency room staffs regarding pain management must be reinforced further in order to improve care quality. The factors identified that influence this knowledge may be referenced by hospitals in developing / revising pain-related continuing education, in developing pain management guidelines, and in setting the directions for future research on pain management.