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Evaluation of Future Nurses' Beliefs and Fears About Pain: A Descriptive and Correlational Study

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: ABSTRACT Background How nurses manage pain and their decisions to treat it depend on their attitudes, beliefs, and misconceptions about pain. Therefore, the first step to promoting positive behaviour change in nurses is to determine their attitudes, beliefs, fears, knowledge, and behaviour towards pain management. Nurses with negative or false beliefs about pain are likely to provide inadequate pain management and care. Nursing students are the nurses of tomorrow who will play a key role in pain management and treatment. This study aimed to evaluate nursing students' beliefs and fears about pain. Methods This descriptive and correlational study was carried out on 342 nursing students of a university in Türkiye. Data were collected using an individual information form, the Fear of Pain Questionnaire‐III (FPQ‐III), and the Pain Beliefs Questionnaire (PBQ). Results The mean scores of the participants from FPQ‐III, Severe Pain, Minor Pain, Medical Pain subscales were 83.71 ± 19.14, 32.54 ± 7.97, 24.48 ± 6.89 and 26.68 ± 7.92, respectively. The participants' mean scores on the Organic Beliefs and Psychological Beliefs subscales were 3.50 ± 0.72 and 4.60 ± 0.96, respectively. There was a positive correlation between FPQ‐III and PBQ scores. The psychological belief subscale explained only 2.1% of the total change in the fear of pain score ( R 2 = 0.021, p < 0.05). Conclusion Participants had high ‘psychological beliefs’ and ‘severe pain’ scores. It may be recommended to use interactive education methods such as case‐based teaching for students to learn effective methods of coping with pain and realise their own beliefs and attitudes. Establishing simulation laboratories where students can experience all pain‐related processes is also important in gaining knowledge and skills on pain management.

Source: Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice

DOI: 10.1111/jep.70058

Authors: Kamile Kırca, Hüsna Özveren, Tuba Karabey

Institutions: Kırıkkale University, Tokat Gaziosmanpaşa Üniversitesi

Language: English

Topic: Pain Management and Opioid Use

Subfield: Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $4,430