Nurse-Led Strategies for Postoperative Pain Management in Patients with Opioid Use Disorder: Focusing on Buprenorphine Continuation Protocols

Abstract

Background: Patient recovery from Opioid Use Disorder encounters multiple hurdles when treating postoperative pain because opioid tolerance exists alongside public prejudice and the danger of returning to drug abuse. Healthcare professionals need strategies for implementing buprenorphine continuation protocols, but research about nurse-led implementation in limited-resource areas remains scarce.
Aim: This study aimed to investigate nurse-led buprenorphine continuation protocols for postoperative pain management in OUD patients, focusing on challenges, strategies, and outcomes in a surgical ward setting.
Methods: The research design was qualitative descriptive, relying on semi-structured interviews with 10 registered nurses at Saidu Teaching Hospital in Swat, Pakistan. The research interviewed nurses because of their experience with postoperative care and buprenorphine administration. Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis was the basis for analyzing the gathered data.
Results: The study identified four main themes which included (1) buprenorphine maintenance as essential for withdrawal prevention and pain management (2) personalized patient-centered pain care plans (3) healthcare staff faced barriers of stigma and opioid tolerance and institutional barriers and (4) nursing professionals should act as advocates by promoting education to ensure patient adherence and reduce bias-related issues. Personalized treatment strategies built better relationships with patients and better results despite problems with institutional prejudices and untrained staff members.
Conclusion: Nurses’ implementation of buprenorphine protocols proves essential for providing appropriate postoperative pain care to patients with OUD. Delivering superior postoperative pain care for patients with OUD requires institutional backing, reduced stigma, and standardized training programs. Future initiatives require interdisciplinary cooperation with specialized educational programs to meet the specific needs of individuals who require such care.