ABILITY OF NURSES TO RECOGNIZE NONVERBAL BEHAVIORAL CUES ASSOCIATED WITH PAIN IN PRELINGUAL POSTOPERATIVE CHILDREN, INFERENCES MADE AND ACTIONS TAKEN.
Contributors: Columbia University. Teachers College.
Published: 1987
Number of pages: 143
Subjects: Education, Health.; Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: This study explored the ability of nurses to recognize nonverbal behavioral cues associated with pain in young, developmentally normal prelingual children who had undergone surgical intervention for non life-threatening events. Inference making by the nurse subjects following assessment of nonverbal cues as influencing those actions selected as appropriate intervention for the child patient was examined.

The theoretical framework for the study was based on Sarbin's Cognitive Theory of Clinical Inference and the study was non-experimental, descriptive in design. The nurse subjects were twenty-two registered nurses practicing pediatric nursing at staff level. Data were collected through nonparticipant observation of the nurse subjects in two observation periods within the first five hours after the child patient's return to his hospital room following surgery.

Comparison made between those cues determined by the nurse researcher with those cues recognized by the nurse subjects revealed observer cues: 320; nurse subjects, 213, representing a percentage of agreement of 66.56%. Covering the face was the most frequent cue as determined by both observer and subjects. Overall, agreement was strong with regard to those cues displayed frequently. Cues displayed with low frequency produced weak agreement between subjects and nurse observer yielding the conclusion that nurses were less likely to recognize behavioral cues unless they were displayed with high frequency.

Statistical analysis of the data pertaining to the relationship between the number of cues identified and the inferences of pain made, revealed that no significant relationship existed. A negative correlation of -.25 was found to exist between neurologic cues recognized and the inference of pain made which while not significant, was of interest. Inferences of pain were made sixteen times in the forty-four observation periods.

The intervention selected by the nurse subjects following inference of pain determined, was most frequently administration of pain medication. Tactile stimulation ranked second. No relationship was found to exist between the number of cues recognized and the type of intervention chosen.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 48-01, Section: A, page: 0053.

Thesis (ED.D.)--COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY TEACHERS COLLEGE, 1987.

School code: 0055.