evaluation of nurses' knowledge and utilization of nonpharmacological pain management techniques in orthopedic wards

Background: pain management is a critical component of patient care in orthopedic wards, particularly given the prevalence of postoperative pain and traumatic injuries. this study assessed nurses' knowledge of nonpharmacological pain management (nppm) strategies and their utilization in orthopedic wards of selected nigerian hospitals. methods: a descriptive cross-sectional survey was used among 146 nurses, recruited by proportional-to-size sampling. a researcher-developed and validated questionnaire was used as a data collection tool to measure knowledge of nppm, the use of related strategies, and barriers to their use from november to december 2024. data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, while hypotheses were tested using multiple logistic regression at the 5% level of significance. data analysis was done using spss version 28. results: only 19 nurses (13%) had good knowledge of nppm strategies, and 22(15.1%) always applied these strategies. commonly used nppm strategies were as follows: ensuring a comfortable environment (4.21±0.76), involving patient relatives in pain management (3.98±0.87), encouraging position changes to reduce pain (3.86±0.38), and teaching correct breathing techniques (3.5±0.95). nurses within the age bracket of 36-40 years (odds ratio [or]=6.83, 95% ci=9.28%, 8.956%), females (or=6.312, 95% ci, 40.41%, 7.59%), nurses with a bachelor's degree (or=4.51, 95% ci, 9.30%, 46.882%), and principal nursing officers (or=6.41, 95% ci, 4.25%, 2.259%) had higher odds to utilize nppm strategies compared to others. also, nurses aged 36-40 years (or=7.89, 95% ci, 3.25%, 3.75%), females (or=3.536, 95% ci, 4.76%, 3.14%), and nurses with a bachelor's degree (or=5.91, 95% ci, 9.30%, 46.882%) were more likely to know nonpharmacological methods. the most significant factors affecting the utilization included a lack of training, prior knowledge of these techniques, heavy workload, and inadequate physician cooperation.conclusion: the study reveals significant gaps in nurses' knowledge and in the consistent application of nppm strategies, highlighting the need for targeted education, mentorship, standardized protocols, and the addressing of systemic barriers such as staffing and physician collaboration to improve patient outcomes.