Parent Satisfaction Related to Child’s Post-Operative Pain Management

Abstract Surgery of a child is a stressful event for the parents and the family. Pain management is an important part of treatment among children undergoing surgical procedures. The aim of this study was to examine the parent satisfaction level related to child’s post-operative pain management. The study included 160 mothers of children aged 2-7 years undergoing elective surgery. In the study the mothers were randomly allocated either to the intervention (n=80) or control group (n=80). The children in the intervention group received age-appropriate distraction interventions for three postoperative days along with the usual care. Children in the control group received only usual care. Data on parent satisfaction related to postoperative pain management interventions was assessed on the day of discharge using a Parent satisfaction scale. It was found that majority 68 (85%) of mothers in the intervention and 27 (33.7%) in the control group were “very satisfied” with pain management interventions. However, 12 (15%) mothers in the intervention and 53 (66.2%) were “moderate satisfied”. The mean and standard deviation of parent satisfaction in the intervention group was 42 ±5.237 and 34 ± 6.642 in the control group. Results from One-way ANOVA identified that there was a significant difference in the parent satisfaction between the intervention and control group (p<0.05). Conclusion: Nurses worldwide must engage parents in the management of their child’s postoperative pain by clearly expressing their responsibilities and roles, as well as providing ample opportunities for parent’s active participation in their child’s postoperative pain management.