Effectiveness of Educational Intervention on Nurses’ Knowledge of Pharmacological Pain Management for Older Adults in Teaching Hospitals in Southwest Nigeria

Pain is a universal human experience, but for older adults, it often becomes a constant, unspoken companion that quietly erodes their quality of life. When an elderly person is hospitalized, the goal is not just to treat an illness but to ensure they remain comfortable and functional. Yet, managing pain in this specific group is tricky. Older bodies process medications differently, and the fear of side effects or addiction can sometimes lead doctors and nurses to hold back on necessary relief. In this context, the nurse is the most critical figure. They are the ones who assess the pain, administer the medicine, and watch for how the patient reacts. If a nurse does not fully understand how pain medications work, how to dose them safely for an aging body, or how to spot dangerous interactions with other drugs, the patient may suffer needlessly. This gap in knowledge is not just a theoretical problem; it is a daily reality in many hospitals where the elderly are treated.

Researchers in Southwest Nigeria set out to see if they could fix this gap through education. They focused on a specific question: could a structured training program actually change what nurses know about giving pain medication to older adults? To answer this, they looked at nurses working in six major teaching hospitals across the region. These are large institutions where complex cases are handled, making them a perfect place to test whether better knowledge leads to better care. The researchers did not just ask the nurses what they thought; they measured their actual knowledge before and after a specific educational intervention. They compared two groups of nurses: one group that received the training and another that continued with their normal routine without any special instruction. This setup allowed them to see if any changes were truly due to the training and not just the passage of time or other factors.

The study began by gathering a large group of registered nurses, totaling 252 individuals, from adult medical and surgical wards. Before any training took place, the researchers tested everyone's knowledge. They asked questions about how to choose the right painkiller, how to calculate the correct dose for an older person, and how to manage the risks of using these drugs. The results showed that, at the start, the two groups were very similar. Both the nurses who would later receive training and those who would not had roughly the same level of understanding. Many of them had gaps in their knowledge, particularly regarding the specifics of drug safety and dosage for the elderly. This initial similarity was crucial because it meant that any difference found later could be confidently attributed to the training itself.

The intervention group then participated in a three-session educational program designed to fill those specific knowledge gaps. The sessions covered evidence-based practices, focusing on the science of pain relief and the unique needs of older patients. The control group, meanwhile, went about their work as usual, receiving no additional instruction. Four weeks later, the researchers tested both groups again using the same questions. The results were clear and distinct. The nurses who had received the training showed a significant improvement in their knowledge. They were much better at identifying the correct information and understanding complex concepts related to pain management. Specifically, the number of nurses with low knowledge scores dropped, while the number of those with high knowledge scores rose sharply. In contrast, the nurses in the control group showed no such improvement; their scores remained largely the same as they were before the study began.

The data indicated that the training worked. The difference between the two groups after the intervention was statistically significant, meaning it was highly unlikely to have happened by chance. The nurses who were taught the material learned it, and they retained that knowledge well enough to score much higher on the follow-up test. The researchers noted that while the average knowledge scores improved, the most dramatic shift was seeing nurses move from having very little understanding to having a strong grasp of the subject. This suggests that the education did not just add a few facts; it fundamentally changed how these nurses understood pain management. The study concluded that such educational programs are a powerful tool. By equipping nurses with better knowledge, hospitals can ensure that older adults receive safer, more effective pain relief, leading to better recovery times and a higher quality of life during their hospital stay. The findings suggest that regular, targeted training should be a standard part of nursing practice to keep care up to date and effective.