Hamdan Albaqawi
University of Hail, KSA
Posters & Accepted Abstracts: Prim Health Care
Background & Aim: Pain is a human experience that affects the overall quality of life, and it is known to be the most common reason for people seeking healthcare. Nurses play a crucial role in assessing and managing patients� pain. Inappropriate attitudes are major contributing factors to the under-treatment of pain. Pain management is a multifaceted problem that may become even more complicated in situations where there are cultural variances and differences between patients and nurses. This study aimed to identify possible barriers to achieve optimal pain management in Hail region hospitals in Saudi Arabia. Samples & Methods: This is a qualitative study conducted in the Hail region hospitals to identify possible barriers to achieve optimal pain. It involves semi-structured interviews with 28 nurses to explore their perceived facilitators and barriers to proper pain management. The interviews elicit information on how cultural differences among Saudi national and expatriate nurses might affect the assessment and interpretation of patients� pain, and how it will affect the delivery of effective pain management, as well as identifying the barriers to achieve optimal pain management in Hail region hospitals. Qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: The qualitative data highlight some barriers that affect nurses� ability to provide effective pain management; these include language, workload, inadequate numbers of staff, lack of education and cultural orientation courses and religious and cultural factors.
