Use of pain assessment tools and associated factors among nurses caring for hospitalized children in District Hospital in Rwanda

INTRODUCTION: The majority of children will experience pain in their childhood. Nurses play a crucial role in caring for children in pain. Pain assessment tools aid nurses in providing effective care for these children. This study aimed to assess the use of pain assessment tools and associated factors among nurses caring for hospitalized children at a selected district hospital in Rwanda. METHOD: This descriptive cross-sectional study occurred at Kabgayi District Hospital in Southern Province, Rwanda. 153 nurses caring for children below 15 years were sampled. Pretested and validated questionnaires, in addition to patients' files, were used as data collection tools. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: At Kabgayi District Hospital, the majority (60.4%) of nurses used pain assessment tools, mostly the verbal pain rating scale. More than eighty percent (83.8%) cited inadequate resources hindering tool utilization. A high workload for nurses made performing appropriate pain assessment procedures difficult. The use of pain assessment tools was associated with the nurses' working shifts (p=0.022). Day-shift nurses implemented tools more than their night-shift counterparts. CONCLUSION: The findings indicate that there are still barriers to the use of pain assessment tools among nurses caring for hospitalized children at Kabgayi District Hospital. Reducing a high workload for nurses will improve the effective use of pain assessment tools. Training for nurses in the form of continuing professional development (CPD) using other appropriate types of pain assessment tools, such as Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, Consolability (FLACC), and Wong-Baker Faces pain rating scale, should be enhanced.