Pediatric nursing
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Pain management is a very important aspect of nursing care of the pediatric patient. A nurse's knowledge and attitude can affect his or her ability to adequately provide pediatric pain management. This study examined the level of knowledge of pediatric pain management, the attitudes of nurses, and the level of self-efficacy of pediatric nurses in acute care. ⋯ Years of pediatric nursing experience correlated with significantly higher knowledge levels, as did a membership in a professional nursing organization. Further, education may benefit pediatric nurses in regard to their management of pediatric pain. Research is needed to examine the effects of self-efficacy on pediatric pain management and how it relates to the level of knowledge.
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Multicenter Study
The Norwegian version of the Pediatric Nurses' Knowledge and Attitudes Survey Regarding Pain: reliability and validity.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Norwegian version of the Pediatric Nurses' Knowledge and Attitudes Survey Regarding Pain (PNKAS-N) in nurses who work with children in pain. The PNKAS was translated into Norwegian in accordance with international guidelines and pilot tested with 10 nurses. The reliability was estimated using Cronbach's alpha coefficient and the test-retest method using Pearson's r coefficient. ⋯ Acceptable levels of reliability were demonstrated by a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.71 and Pearson's r coefficient of 0.83. The questionnaire discriminated between nurses and nurse specialists (p < 0.001). The PNKAS-N demonstrated adequate reliability and validity, and is applicable for the evaluation of pediatric nurses' competency in pain management.
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No "gold standard" currently exists for the objective assessment of sedation depth in critically ill pediatric patients requiring mechanical ventilation. The risks for these patients due to both over-sedation and under-sedation include poorer outcomes, reduced patient and family satisfaction, and increased costs to the institutions. ⋯ The purpose of this study was to assess the content validity of the Pediatric Sedation-Agitation Scale (P-SAS), which was adapted from the Riker Sedation-Agitation Scale (SAS). Analysis by a panel of 30 health care professionals with expertise in pediatric acute care supported the content validity of the P-SAS.