An action research study exploring how education may enhance pain management in children

The aim of this study was to explore and address the views of children's nurses in relation to their educational needs on pain management. Action research was the methodology used: focus groups were run to identify the problem of nurses' educational needs; action planning was used to develop a short programme of study for nurses to address identified needs. Evaluation was by questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. Ten children's nurses attended the study day. All the nurses said they gained knowledge on the day - in particular assessment of pain and the individuality of the pain experience. The nurses felt that their new knowledge increased their confidence and contributed to them feeling assertive when managing children's pain. The study findings suggest that the current provision in relation to education programmes for children's nurses needs to be improved, in order to provide them with the knowledge and confidence to manage children's pain more effectively. (C) 2002, Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.