The Impact of Scripted Pain Education on Patient Satisfaction in Outpatient Abdominal Surgery Patients

Abstract

Purpose: Practice guidelines for acute pain management in perioperative patients recommend providing consistent perioperative pain education that includes medication and behavioral techniques to control pain. However, literature indicates that most nurses deliver patient education based on personal preferences, time limitations, and availability of teaching aids. The purpose of this study was to evaluate patient satisfaction with scripted preoperative pain management education for patients undergoing outpatient abdominal surgery.

Design: A pretest and posttest design compared patient perceptions of and satisfaction with pain management education before and after the introduction of scripted education.

Methods: An independent t test was applied to measure differences between groups.

Findings: The postscripting group responses indicated that pain education was helpful in managing postoperative pain at a significant (P = 0.03) level.

Conclusions: Use of scripted dialog, along with specific written patient education, has a positive impact on postoperative patient satisfaction with pain management.

Keywords: ambulatory surgery; pain education; pain management; postoperative nursing care.