Effectiveness of Educational Intervention on Nurses’ Knowledge of Pharmacological Pain Management for Older Adults in Teaching Hospitals in Southwest Nigeria

Abstract Purpose Effective pharmacological pain management is essential for improving health outcomes and quality of care among hospitalized older adults. Despite advances in pain management, many elderly patients in teaching hospitals in Southwest Nigeria continue to experience inadequate pain relief due to deficiencies in nurses’ pharmacological pain management knowledge. This study assessed the effectiveness of an educational intervention on nurses’ knowledge of pharmacological pain management for older adults. Methods Guided by the Knowledge-to-Action Framework and Gate Control Theory, a quantitative two-group pretest–posttest quasi-experimental design was employed. The study population comprised 7,140 registered nurses, with a target population of 3,370 nurses in selected teaching hospitals. A total of 252 registered nurses were selected through multistage sampling and assigned to intervention (n = 126) and control (n = 126) groups. Data were collected over six weeks using structured pretest and posttest questionnaires adapted from validated instruments, with an overall Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.86. Descriptive statistics and Student’s t-tests were used for analysis at a 0.05 significance level. Findings: Baseline findings showed no statistically significant difference in knowledge between the groups ( p  > 0.05). Following the intervention, the intervention group demonstrated significant improvements in pharmacological pain management knowledge, evidenced by reduced low-knowledge scores ( p  = 0.031) and increased high-knowledge scores ( p  = 0.001). Conclusion The educational intervention significantly improved nurses’ knowledge. Regular educational interventions, continuing professional development, standardized pain management protocols, and strengthened geriatric pain management content in nursing curricula are recommended to enhance evidence-based practice and improve outcomes for older adults.