Abstract:
Background: Effective pain management in Intensive Care Units (ICUs) is critical, yet nursing
officers often face various perceived barriers that hinder optimal patient care. These barriers,
which may include inadequate resources, insufficient training, and communication challenges, can
compromise the delivery of timely and appropriate pain relief, affecting patient outcomes.
Objectives: To assess the perceived barriers to effective pain management among nursing officers
in the ICUs at National Hospital Galle (NHG), Sri Lanka
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 164 nursing officers working
at ICUs at NHG, including Emergency Trauma, Neuro Trauma, Neonatal, Pediatric, and Main
Intensive Therapy Units, using convenience sampling technique. Data were collected using a
researcher developed, validated, self-administered questionnaire and analysed using SPSS version
25.0, incorporating descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. The questionnaire covered
demographic information, perceived barriers to ICU pain management, the availability and
accessibility of related resources, and the techniques used for managing pain.
Results: Most participants were female (90.9%, n=149). A significant portion had over five years
of total professional experience (62.7%, n=103), and an even larger percentage had more than five
years of experience working in the ICU (74.9%, n=123). Most of the participants had not
participated in pain management programs (82.3%, n=135). The results showed that the most
effective pain management technique was pharmacological intervention (100%). The study
discovered highly influenced barriers for effective pain management in ICU at NHG are shortage
of nursing staff, lack of resources, inadequate in-service program, lack of multidisciplinary
approach, lack of positive attitudes, lack of education with pain assessment tools, language
barriers and poor documentation of pain assessment and management (p<0.05).
Conclusions: The study revealed that ICU nurses had moderate knowledge and practices
regarding pain management, with gaps in the use of standardised assessment tools and attitudes
toward pain. It is recommended to implement regular in-service training on pain management
techniques, address staffing shortages, enhance multidisciplinary collaboration, improve resource
allocation, and promote a positive attitude through continuous education to improve pain
management effectiveness in ICUs.
Keywords: Intensive care unit, Nursing officers, Pain management
