Other Titles

Contextualization of Best Practice Guidelines for Managing Postoperative Pain in Children ​ (0- 3 years): A Consensus Study [Title Slide]

Abstract

Background: Acute postoperative pain is a prevalent surgical symptom that affects a significant proportion of patients, ranging from 40% to 80% (Skervin & Levy, 2020). Management of postoperative pain is critical for all groups of people, especially children. Various stakeholders are involved in postoperative pain management among children to be effective. Among these stakeholders, much of the concentration is on nurses and caregivers. Best practice guidelines are recommended for effective postoperative pain management among children. There are numerous best practice guidelines for managing postoperative pain among children globally (Cettler et al., 2022; Smith et al., 2022; Trottier et al., 2022).

Purpose: This study aimed to contextualise the best practice guidelines for nurses and caregivers in managing postoperative pain for hospitalised children (0- 3 years) in Ghana.

Methods: A consensus research design was used to contextualise best practice guidelines for managing children's (0- 3 years) postoperative pain. Four previous studies were conducted to aid in this consensus process. Two consensus meetings were conducted to produce quantitative and qualitative data. The quantitative data was analysed using a rating method, and qualitative data analysed thematically.

Results: The first meeting rejected one hundred fifty-nine (159) best practice guidelines. In the second meeting, the thematic analysis produced five themes: preoperative teaching, documentation, pain assessment, pharmacological treatment, and non-pharmacological treatment. The thirty-five (35) best practice guidelines remaining after the first consensus meeting were contextualised to produce twenty-five (25) best practice guidelines to be used by nurses and caregivers in managing postoperative pain management in children (0- 3 years).

Conclusion: As context influences pain and its management, context-specific best practice guidelines will help nurses and caregivers effectively manage children's postoperative pain from birth to three years. This study produced twenty-five contextualised best practice guidelines to be used by nurses and caregivers.

Notes

Reference list included in attached slide deck.

Description

Acute postoperative pain is a prevalent surgical symptom that affects a significant proportion of patients especially, children. Best practice guidelines are recommended for effective management. There are numerous best practice guidelines available globally. Since there were various best practice guidelines available in other settings, this study aimed to contextualize the best practice guidelines for managing postoperative pain for hospitalised children in Ghana.

Author Details

Sylvia Oger Ofosu Dwamena, PhD (candidate), MSN, Bsc, PGDE, DIP, RN; Carin Maree, PhD, MCur, BACur, PGCHE, fANSA; Seugnette Rossouw, MCur, BACur; Varshika Bhana, PhD, MCur, BACur

Sigma Membership

Chi Omicron

Type

Presentation

Format Type

Text-based Document

Study Design/Type

Other

Research Approach

Mixed/Multi Method Research

Keywords:

Acute Care, Cultural Context and Care, Postoperative Pain, Children, Ghana

Conference Name

48th Biennial Convention

Conference Host

Sigma Theta Tau International

Conference Location

Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

Conference Year

2025

Rights Holder

All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record. All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository. All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.

Review Type

Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host

Acquisition

Proxy-submission

Date of Issue

2025-12-01

Click on the above link to access the slide deck.

Share

COinS
 

Contextualization of Best Practice Guidelines for Managing Postoperative Pain in Children in Ghana

Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

Background: Acute postoperative pain is a prevalent surgical symptom that affects a significant proportion of patients, ranging from 40% to 80% (Skervin & Levy, 2020). Management of postoperative pain is critical for all groups of people, especially children. Various stakeholders are involved in postoperative pain management among children to be effective. Among these stakeholders, much of the concentration is on nurses and caregivers. Best practice guidelines are recommended for effective postoperative pain management among children. There are numerous best practice guidelines for managing postoperative pain among children globally (Cettler et al., 2022; Smith et al., 2022; Trottier et al., 2022).

Purpose: This study aimed to contextualise the best practice guidelines for nurses and caregivers in managing postoperative pain for hospitalised children (0- 3 years) in Ghana.

Methods: A consensus research design was used to contextualise best practice guidelines for managing children's (0- 3 years) postoperative pain. Four previous studies were conducted to aid in this consensus process. Two consensus meetings were conducted to produce quantitative and qualitative data. The quantitative data was analysed using a rating method, and qualitative data analysed thematically.

Results: The first meeting rejected one hundred fifty-nine (159) best practice guidelines. In the second meeting, the thematic analysis produced five themes: preoperative teaching, documentation, pain assessment, pharmacological treatment, and non-pharmacological treatment. The thirty-five (35) best practice guidelines remaining after the first consensus meeting were contextualised to produce twenty-five (25) best practice guidelines to be used by nurses and caregivers in managing postoperative pain management in children (0- 3 years).

Conclusion: As context influences pain and its management, context-specific best practice guidelines will help nurses and caregivers effectively manage children's postoperative pain from birth to three years. This study produced twenty-five contextualised best practice guidelines to be used by nurses and caregivers.