Pain Education in Schools of Nursing: a Survey of the Italian Academic Situation

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Proper assessment of pain is imperative for the development of an effective pain management plan and is a core responsibility of nurses and healthcare professionals. This article describes the contents of Italian on-line bachelor’s in nursing degree programs, with particular focus on pain management. METHOD: A descriptive study was made on curricula published and available on-line in Italian Nursing Schools, and the concordance with the standards set by the Consensus Curriculum on Pain for Nursing ofthe International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP, 2015) was analyzed. RESULTS: Of all the bachelor programs published on-line, 42.6% offered programs and courses specifically centred on pain education, while in general pain teaching seemed to be delivered as part of other topics. Results showed that the contents of the programs were partially in line with those suggested by the IASP. True is that on-line results may underestimate the actualdiffusion of pain education programs and topics in Italian Universities. CONCLUSION: The Italian academic system does not seem to comply with any specific international standard. Only by interviewing the university administrative staff we may investigate the amount and type of pain education received by Italian healthcare undergraduates and the existing educational curricula and plans, as on-line information may be only partially complete.