Correlation between pain self-efficacy and pain management quality among abdominal surgery patients
Abstract
• Abdominal surgery patients need effective pain management for better recovery and shorter hospital stays. • Boosting pain self-efficacy may affect pain management effectiveness. • The study finds a positive correlation between pain self-efficacy and pain management quality in abdominal surgery patients. • Nurses are recommended to provide pain self-efficacy education to improve patient pain management. Pain management is a critical concern for patients undergoing abdominal surgery, as insufficient and ineffective pain control can diminish their quality of life and prolong hospital stays. Enhancing patients’ pain self-efficacy may improve their ability to manage pain effectively. Therefore, investigating the relationship between pain self-efficacy and pain management quality is crucial. This study seeks to determine the correlation between pain self-efficacy and pain management quality among abdominal surgery patients. This descriptive cross-sectional correlational study investigated 432 patients undergoing abdominal surgery who were admitted to the three general surgery departments of Besat Hospital, affiliated with Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, from March 2022 to May 2023. The data collection instruments included pain self-efficacy and pain management quality questionnaires. A positive correlation was identified between pain self-efficacy and pain management quality among patients undergoing abdominal surgery (r = 0.448, p < 0.001). Additionally, positive correlations were found between self-efficacy and various dimensions of pain management quality, including trust (r = 0.586, p < 0.001), environment (r = 0.265, p < 0.001), and communication (r = 0.409, p < 0.001). However, pain self-efficacy negatively correlated with activity (r = -0.484, p < 0.001). The study’s limitations are the convenience sampling method and self-report questionnaires. According to this study’s findings, nurses are recommended to incorporate pain self-efficacy education into their practice to enhance the quality of pain management for these patients within a holistic care framework.