THE OPINIONS OF DISTRICT NURSES REGARDING THE KNOWLEDGE, MANAGEMENT AND DOCUMENTATION OF PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC PAIN

This is the first of two studies investigating district nurses' opinio ns regarding the knowledge, management and nursing documentation of pa tients with chronic pain conditions, before and after the introduction of 'pain advisers' in one health care region in Stockholm. Seventy (9 7%) district nurses at 12 selected primary health care centres (PHCCs) answered questionnaire. The study showed that 85% of the district nur ses met patients with chronic pain conditions at least once week. None of the 12 PHCCs had any written information/policies on pain control. Many district nurses did not perform any individual analysis of the p atients' pain and very few used any tool, such as VAS, to assess or ev aluate the patients' pain. The district nurses reported insufficient p ain documentation. A number of district nurses were dissatisfied with the present management of patients with chronic pain at their PHCCs, t heir own knowledge of pain control, their own preparedness meet these patients, their own follow-ups and their own documentation. The study also showed that the district nurses' attitudes to pain and pain contr ol varied, depending on how satisfied they were with their own managem ent of patients with chronic pain conditions.