Investigation of pain assessment trends among residents in Japanese long-term care facilities

Abstract

Aim: Pain management is vital for both the maintenance and improvement of the quality of life of residents, in Japanese long-term care facilities. However, few studies examining pain assessment in older populations have been published.
The purpose of this study is to investigate the actual conditions related to pain assessment of residents by nurses in Japanese long-term care facilities. Included in this investigation are the actual frequency of pain assessments, the nurses own perceptions of the pain assessment of their residents, whether or not nurses have undertaken any training related to pain assessment, and the need for a pain assessment training period.
Methods: A questionnaire was distributed to 487 nurses in 60 Japanese long-term care facilities.
Results: A total of 443 valid responses were collected. The data revealed that 74.7% of these nurses lack the confidence to suitably assess the residents' pain and 44.2% of these nurses do not conduct pain assessments on a regular basis. Additionally, only 9.9% of the nurses surveyed have participated in seminars concerning pain in older people.
Conclusion: The results indicate that over 70% of nurses lack the confidence to suitably assess their residents' pain. In addition, the number of residents who cannot self-report their pain because of cognitive impairment is increasing. Therefore, it is necessary to develop new approaches which provide nurses with sufficient knowledge and confidence to conduct appropriate pain assessments on their residents.