Knowledge and practice of emergency nurses caring for drug seeking behavior patients

Abstract

Background

Pain management is connected to use of Opioids and analgesics at the emergency care units and interfere with ability of emergency care provider to manage patient if patient identified as drug seeking. Pain has been reported as the main reason for seeking emergency care; therefore, emergency care providers have great difficulty defining or accurately predicting those patients who present with factitious complaints to obtain pain medications, and fear of additions and abuse.

Purpose

Was to investigate meaning and knowledge level of emergency nurses in Jordan in relation to drug seeking behaviors at the emergency units in Jordan.

Methods

A descriptive-correlational study used to collect data related to drug seeking from 305 emergency nurses using self-report questionnaires.

Results

The analysis showed that emergency nurses in Jordan have wide variation and moderate level of agreement on meaning of drug seeking. Emergency nurses also lack the knowledge and ability to detect drug seeking patients, and lack the effective interventions required to manage drug seeking if identified. Although nurse had low level of knowledge and low level of management skills, the analysis also showed that there was a positive association between level of knowledge and management skills. Also nurses ‘knowledge had negative association with nurses’ age, number of years of experience in nursing, and number of years of experience in emergency units.

Conclusion

The study provoke attention to quality of pain management and interventions provided at the emergency units