Perception of Surgical Pain by Nurses and Patients

A descriptive study of postoperative patients was conducted to determine if there were any differences in the pain ratings of nurses and patients using a 10-centimeter graphic rating scale (GRS). The sample consisted of 16 patients: 3 males and 13 females. There were 13 nurses: 54% R.N.s and 46% L.P.N.s. When patients requested pain medication, both the patient and nurse were asked independently to indicate their perception of the patient's pain on the scale. The mean patient score on the GRS was 7.59; the mean for nurses was 4.59. At test revealed a significant difference between the nurses' and patients' pain ratings (t = 4.22, p = .0002). Based on this study, there is further need to examine assessment of the patient and the perceptions of the nurse and patient.