[01] Dania Subramaniam, Faculty of Medicine, Melaka-Manipal Medical College, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, MAHE, Melaka, Malaysia. [02] Devaraj Gunendran, Faculty of Medicine, Melaka-Manipal Medical College, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, MAHE, Melaka, Malaysia. [03] Shenali Eveesha Kumarasiri, Faculty of Medicine, Melaka-Manipal Medical College, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, MAHE, Melaka, Malaysia. [04] Nor Aina Nadhirah Binti Zulkifli, Faculty of Medicine, Melaka-Manipal Medical College, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, MAHE, Melaka, Malaysia. [05] Darethy Aving, Faculty of Medicine, Melaka-Manipal Medical College, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, MAHE, Melaka, Malaysia.

Pain, despite being a very common encounter in daily healthcare settings, has been shown to be mismanaged and often left treated inadequately. This has largely been attributed to the lack of training in the area of pain control and its importance. This research was conducted to determine the level of knowledge towards pain management among clinical year medical students of Melaka-Manipal Medical College, Malaysia. A cross-sectional study was conducted among clinical year medical students of Melaka-Manipal Medical College. The knowledge towards pain management was assessed using a validated questionnaire known as “Knowledge and Attitude Survey Regarding Pain” (KASRP) which consists of 39 questions. The data collected was processed using Microsoft Excel and analyzed using the software Epi info version 7.2.2.6. The average total knowledge score percentage of 184 participants was 48.66% (SD = 9.23) which is below the passing mark of 50%. There was significant association between ethnicity and religion and the knowledge of pain management among clinical year medical students. From this study, we found that the knowledge of pain management among clinical year medical students of Melaka-Manipal is unsatisfactory. Emphasis on pain management should therefore be made through continuous education and training of medical students in order to improve the quality of patient care in the future.

Pain Management, Medical Students, Knowledge

[01] IASP Terminology. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.iasp-pain.org/terminology?navItemNumber=576#Pain. [02] J. A. Davis, R. L. Robinson, L. T. Kim & J. Xie, Incidence and impact of pain conditions and comorbid illnesses, Journal of Pain Research 4 (2011) 331–345. [03] M. K. Merboth & S. Barnason, Managing pain: the fifth vital sign, Journal of Nursing Clinical North America 35 (2000) 375–383. [04] Eaton LH, Meins AR, Mitchell PH, Voss J, Doorenbos AZ. Evidence-based practice beliefs and behaviors of nurses providing cancer pain management: A mixed-methods approach. Oncol Nurs Forum. 2015; 42: 165–73. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar] [05] Pereira Dames LJ, Herdy Alves V, Pereira Rodrigues D, De Souza B, Rangel R, Do Valle Andrade Medeiros F, et al. Nurses’ practical knowledge on the clinical management of neonatal pain: A descriptive study. Online Brazilian J Nurs. 2016; 15: 393–403. [Google Scholar] [06] E. Manias, M. Botti, T. Bucknall, Observation of pain assessment and management-the complexities of clinical practice, Journal of Clinical Nursing 11 (2002) 724–33. [07] N. Rejeh, F. Ahmadi, E. Mohammadi, A. Kazemnejad & M. Anoosheh, Nurses’ experiences and perceptions of influencing barriers to postoperative pain management, Scandinavian Journal of Caring Science 23 (2009) 274–281. 100 International Journal of Advanced Nursing Studies. [08] A. McKinlay & S. Cowan, Student nurses’ attitudes towards working with older patients, Journal of Advanced Nursing 43 (2003) 298–309. [09] J. Hamilton & L. Edgar, A survey examining nurses’ knowledge of pain control, Journal of Pain and Symptom Management 7 (1992) 18– 26. [10] J. L. Young, F. M. Horton & R. Davidhizar, Nursing attitudes and beliefs in pain assessment and management, Journal of Advanced Nursing 53 (2006) 412–421. [11] Bartoszczyk DA, Gilbertson-White S. Interventions for nurse-related barriers in cancer pain management. Oncol Nurs Forum. 2015; 42: 634–41. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar] [12] L. Lui, D. So & D. Fong, Knowledge and attitudes regarding pain among nurses in Hong Kong medical units, Journal of Clinical Nursing 17 (2008) 2014-2021. [13] D. Al-Shaer, P. D. Hill & M. A. Anderson, Nurses’ knowledge and attitudes regarding pain assessment and intervention, Medical Surgical Nursing 20 (2011) 30-39. [14] C. Goodrich, Students’ and faculty members’ knowledge and attitudes regarding pain management: a descriptive survey, Journal of Nursing Education 45 (2006) 108-117. [15] Y. K. Yildirim, F. Cicek & M. Uyar, Knowledge and attitudes of Turkish oncology nurses about cancer pain management, Pain Management Nursing 9 (2008) 17-25. B. Wilson, Nurses’ knowledge of pain, Journal of Clinical Nursing 16 (2007) 1012–1020. [16] L. Y. Lin & R. H. Wang, Abdominal surgery, pain and anxiety: preoperative nursing intervention, Journal of Advanced Nursing 51 (2005) 252– 260. [17] B. Wilson, Nurses’ knowledge of pain, Journal of Clinical Nursing 16 (2007) 1012–1020. [18] Ekim A, Ocakcı AF. Knowledge and attitudes regarding pain management of pediatric nurses in Turkey. Pain Manag Nurs. 2013; 14: e262–7. [PubMed] [Google Scholar] [19] Voshall B, Dunn KS, Shelestak D. Knowledge and attitudes of pain management among nursing faculty. Pain Manag Nurs. 2013; 14: e226–35. [PubMed] [Google Scholar] [20] Kassa R, Kassa G. Nurses’ attitude, practice and barriers toward cancer pain management, Addis Ababa, Ethiopian. J Cancer Sci Ther. 2014; 6: 483–7. [Google Scholar] [21] Jho, H. J., Kim, Y., Kong, K. A., Kim, D. H., Choi, J. Y., Nam, E. J., … Park, E. J. (2014). Knowledge, Practices, and Perceived Barriers Regarding Cancer Pain Management Among Physicians and Nurses In Korea: A Nationwide Multicenter Survey. PLoS ONE, 9 (8). doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0105900 [22] Samara, A. M., Toba, H. A., & Zyoud, S. E. H. (2018). Physicians’ knowledge, perceived barriers, and practices regarding cancer pain management: a cross-sectional study from Palestine. Applied Cancer Research, 38 (1). doi: 10.1186/s41241-018-0066-8 [23] Ung, A., Salamonson, Y., Hu, W., & Gallego, G. (2015). Assessing knowledge, perceptions and attitudes to pain management among medical and nursing students: a review of the literature. British Journal of Pain, 10 (1), 8–21. doi: 10.1177/2049463715583142 [24] Keyte, D., & Richardson, C. (2011). Re-thinking pain educational strategies: Pain a new model using e-learning and PBL. Nurse Education Today, 31 (2), 117–121. doi: 10.1016/j.nedt.2010.05.001 [25] H, M. A. A. (2014). Knowledge And Attitude Towards Pain Management Among Medical And Paramedical Students Of An Ethiopian University. Journal of Pain & Relief, 03 (01). doi: 10.4172/2167-0846.1000127 [26] “Knowledge and Attitudes Survey Regarding Pain” developed by Betty Ferrell, RN, PhD, FAAN and Margo McCaffery, RN, MS, FAAN, (http://prc.coh.org), revised 2014. [27] Manwere, A., Chipfuwa, T., Mukwamba, M. M., & Chironda, G. (2015, August 24). Knowledge and Attitudes of Registered Nurses towards Pain Management of Adult Medical Patients: A Case of Bindura Hospital. Retrieved from http://www.hsj.gr/medicine/knowledge-and-attitudes-of-registered-nurses-towards-pain-management-of-adult-medical-patients-a-case-of-bindura-hospital.php?aid=6882. [28] Salameh, B. (2018). Nurses’ knowledge regarding pain management in high acuity care units: A case study of Palestine. International Journal of Health Sciences, 12 (N3). Retrieved from https://ijhs.org.sa/index.php/journal/article/view/205 [29] Samarkandi O. A. (2018). Knowledge and attitudes of nurses toward pain management. Saudi journal of anaesthesia, 12 (2), 220–226. doi: 10.4103/sja.SJA_587_17 [30] LeRoy, Brandy C., "Knowledge of and Attitude toward Pain Control among Hospice Nurses in a Southeastern State in the US" (2012). Nursing Theses and Capstone Projects. 129 [31] Al-Quliti, K. W., & Alamri, M. S. (2015). Assessment of pain. Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of health care providers in Almadinah Almunawwarah, Saudi Arabia. Neurosciences (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia), 20 (2), 131–136. doi: 10.17712/nsj.2015.2.20140546 [32] Knowledge and Attitude towards Pain Management Among Nurses in Singapore Chia, Gerk Sin et al. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, Volume 56, Issue 6, e116 [33] Rieman, M. T., & Gordon, M. (2007). Pain management competency evidenced by a survey of pediatric nurses' knowledge and attitudes. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17907731. [34] Soh, K. L. (2017). Pain Management Knowledge Among Medical Ward Nurses In Malaysia. International Journal of GEOMATE, 12 (30). doi: 10.21660/2017.30.2630 [35] Hylton, A. (2018). Nurses’ knowledge and attitudes regarding pain. Nurses’ Knowledge and Attitudes Regarding Pain, 98–98. Retrieved from https://ourarchive.otago.ac.nz/bitstream/handle/10523/9447/HyltonAprilA2018MHealSc.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y