Factors affecting the facilitation of nursing students to learn pediatric pain management in Rwanda

What is it about?

We explored academics’, clinical nurse preceptors’, and nursing students’ perceptions about factors affecting the facilitation of nursing students’ competency for pediatric pain management in Rwanda. We used in-depth interviews and focus group discussions to collect the data. The thematic analysis revealed that student motivation, facilitators’ personality traits, collaboration between academics and clinicians, nurses’ limited autonomy make decisions for children’s pain relief practices, shortage of resources, and educational qualification are factors that impede on learning pediatric pain management among nursing students.

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Photo by Aditya Romansa on Unsplash

Photo by Aditya Romansa on Unsplash

Why is it important?

• Optimal management of pain in children is a recognized right and requires healthcare professionals to be competent knowledgeable all aspects related to pain and pain relief, because unrelieved pain in children can lead to many complications during adulthood. • Academics and practice partners play a crucial role to collaboratively prepare nursing students achieving their professional goals and to develop work-ready nurses. • It is important to understand factors that affect nurse educators’ and preceptors’ ability to facilitate students’ learning. It allows to develop appropriate strategies to improve pediatric pain relief practices by promoting a sound pedagogical approach to facilitate pediatric pain management skills acquisition by nursing students in the context of a resource-limited country like Rwanda.