Standardized nursing education: A resilient strategy for pain control and medication adherence in cancer care

Introduction: Standardized nursing education promotes consistent clinical practice and supports evidence-based cancer pain management. A structured educational framework enables nurses to provide systematic pain management guidance. However, misconceptions regarding analgesics, fear of addiction, and concerns about adverse effects remain barriers to medication adherence and adequate pain control among patients with cancer-related pain.

Background and Purpose: Nurse-delivered patient education may enhance patients’ understanding of pain management and promote appropriate analgesic use. This study aimed to evaluate the preliminary effects of a nurse-led standardized nursing educational intervention on medication adherence and pain intensity among hospitalized patients with cancer-related pain.

Methods: A pilot single-group pre–post intervention study was conducted among 30 hospitalized patients with cancer-related pain. The mean age of participants was 53 years; 14 (46.7%) were male and 16 (53.3%) were female. Participants received four sessions of nurse-led standardized nursing education based on the Cancer Pain Management Education Handbook published by the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA, 2023). Each 30-minute session covered cancer pain mechanisms, appropriate analgesic use, opioid misconceptions, adverse effect management, and pain self-management strategies. Baseline pain intensity was assessed using the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) over the first 3 consecutive days after admission, and medication adherence was evaluated using the Adherence to Refills and Medications Scale (ARMS). After completion of the intervention, NRS and ARMS scores were reassessed. Paired t-tests were used to compare pre- and post-intervention outcomes.

Results: Following the intervention, medication adherence significantly improved, with mean ARMS scores decreasing from 28.1 ± 4.86 to 18.1 ± 4.08 (t(29)=15.66, p<.001, 95% CI [8.69, 11.31]). Pain intensity also significantly decreased, with mean NRS scores reducing from 5.2 ± 0.62 to 2.0 ± 0.67 (t(29)=30.19, p<.001, 95% CI [2.98, 3.42]), indicating a clinically meaningful improvement in pain outcomes.

Conclusions: A nurse-led standardized nursing educational intervention demonstrated potential benefits in improving medication adherence and reducing pain intensity among hospitalized patients with cancer-related pain. Integrating structured pain education into oncology nursing practice may support consistent patient education and enhance cancer pain management. Further controlled studies with larger samples are warranted to confirm these findings.

Yi-Ling, CHEN is a Registered Nurse in the Oncology Division at Department of Nursing, Asia University Hospital, Taiwan, specializing in cancer symptom control and patient health education. Throughout her clinical career, Ms. CHEN has focused on translating evidence-based guidelines into practical bedside nursing, particularly in optimizing pain management workflows for oncology patients. Her work emphasizes empowering patients through systematic education to improve medication adherence and quality of life. By presenting at this conference, she aims to share practical insights on implementing standardized educational interventions in routine clinical settings.