Effectiveness of Structured Nursing Interventions on Postoperative Pain Management Among Surgical Patients

Short Communication

Effectiveness of Structured Nursing Interventions on Postoperative Pain Management Among Surgical Patients

Renuka Bhajantri ^1*
Suresh Loni ²
Ananda ³
Somanath Ranagatti ⁴

1Assistant Professor, Department of Medical Surgical Nursing, Shree Siddeshwara Samsthe College of Nursing, Vijayapur, Karnataka, India.

2Assistant Professor, Department of Child health Nursing, Shree Siddeshwara Samsthe College of Nursing, Vijayapur, Karnataka, India.

3Assistant Professor, Dept of Medical Surgical Nursing, SDS TRC and RGICD College of Nursing Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.

4Assistant Professor, Department of Community Health Nursing, Shree Siddeshwara Samsthe College of Nursing, Vijayapur, Karnataka, India.

*Corresponding Author: Renuka Bhajantri, Assistant Professor, Department of Medical Surgical Nursing, Shree Siddeshwara Samsthe College of Nursing, Vijayapur, Karnataka, India.

Citation: Bhajantri R, Loni S, Ananda, Ranagatti S. (2026). Effectiveness of Structured Nursing Interventions on Postoperative Pain Management Among Surgical Patients, International Clinical and Medical Case Reports, BioRes Scientia Publishers. 5(2):1-9. DOI: 10.59657/2837-5998.brs.26.062

Copyright: © 2026 Renuka Bhajantri, this is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Received: March 02, 2026 | Accepted: March 13, 2026 | Published: March 19, 2026

Abstract

Postoperative pain is one of the most common complications following surgical procedures and can negatively affect recovery, mobility, and overall patient satisfaction. Effective pain management is therefore an essential component of postoperative nursing care. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of structured nursing interventions on postoperative pain management among surgical patients. A quasi-experimental study design was adopted involving 100 postoperative patients admitted to a tertiary care hospital. Participants were divided into experimental (n=50) and control (n=50) groups. The experimental group received structured nursing interventions including pain assessment using the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), positioning, relaxation techniques, early ambulation guidance, and patient education. The control group received routine care. Pain levels were assessed at 6, 12, 24, and 48 hours after surgery. Results showed that the mean pain score decreased significantly in the experimental group (7.1 to 2.8) compared with the control group (7.0 to 4.6). The findings indicate that structured nursing interventions significantly reduce postoperative pain and improve recovery outcomes. The study highlights the importance of implementing evidence-based nursing interventions in surgical wards to enhance patient comfort and recovery.

Keywords: postoperative pain; nursing intervention; surgical patients; pain management; postoperative care

Introduction

Postoperative pain is a major clinical problem that affects a large proportion of surgical patients worldwide. Inadequate pain management can lead to complications such as delayed wound healing, respiratory problems, increased stress response, prolonged hospital stay, and reduced patient satisfaction.

Pain after surgery occurs due to tissue injury, inflammatory responses, and activation of the sympathetic nervous system. If pain is not adequately managed, it may result in physiological disturbances such as increased heart rate, impaired respiratory function, and delayed mobilization.

Nurses play a central role in postoperative pain management because they continuously monitor patients and implement both pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions. Multimodal approaches such as analgesic administration, relaxation therapy, patient education, positioning, and early ambulation are recommended to improve pain control and recovery outcomes.

Structured nursing interventions have been shown to improve postoperative outcomes by combining systematic pain assessment with individualized patient care. Evidence suggests that patient education and non-pharmacological strategies can significantly reduce postoperative pain levels and improve functional recovery.

However, in many clinical settings pain assessment and documentation are inconsistent, which may limit effective pain management.

Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of structured nursing interventions on postoperative pain management among surgical patients.

Objectives

Primary Objective

To evaluate the effectiveness of structured nursing interventions on postoperative pain among surgical patients.

Secondary Objectives

To assess the level of postoperative pain among surgical patients in experimental and control groups.
To compare the pain levels between experimental and control groups after intervention.
To determine the association between postoperative pain levels and selected demographic variables.

Hypothesis

H1: There will be a significant reduction in postoperative pain scores among patients who receive structured nursing interventions compared with those receiving routine care.

Materials and Methods

Research Design

Quasi-experimental pretest-posttest control group design.

Setting

Surgical wards of a tertiary care hospital.

Sample Size

100 postoperative patients.

Group	Sample
Experimental Group	50
Control Group	50

Sampling Technique

Convenience sampling.

Inclusion Criteria

Patients aged 18-65 years
Patients undergoing abdominal or orthopedic surgery
Patients able to communicate pain level

Exclusion Criteria

Patients with cognitive impairment
Patients admitted to ICU after surgery

Intervention (Structured Nursing Intervention)

The experimental group received:

Pain assessment using Numeric Rating Scale (0-10)
Positioning for comfort
Deep breathing and relaxation exercises
Early ambulation guidance
Patient education on pain control
Cold/heat therapy where appropriate

Control group received routine postoperative care.

Data Collection Tool

Section A

Demographic data:

Age
Gender
Type of surgery
Duration of surgery

Section B

Numeric Rating Scale (0–10) for pain assessment.

Score	Interpretation
0	No pain
1-3	Mild pain
4-6	Moderate pain
7-10	Severe pain

Results

Table 1: Demographic Characteristics.

Variable	Experimental (n=50)	Control (n=50)
Age 18-30	12	10
Age 31-45	18	20
Age 46-60	14	13
Age >60	6	7
Male	28	26
Female	22	24

Table 2: Mean Pain Score Comparison.

Time	Experimental Mean ± SD	Control Mean ± SD
6 hours	7.1 ±1.2	7.0 ±1.3
12 hours	5.8 ±1.1	6.4 ±1.2
24 hours	4.1 ±1.0	5.5 ±1.1
48 hours	2.8 ±0.9	4.6 ±1.0

Table 3: Pain Level Distribution at 48 Hours.

Pain Level	Experimental	Control
Mild	35	18
Moderate	12	24
Severe	3	8

Figure 1: Mean Pain Score Trend.

Experimental group shows a steeper decline in pain score compared to control group.

Discussion

The findings of the present study revealed that structured nursing interventions significantly reduced postoperative pain among surgical patients. The mean pain score decreased from 7.1 to 2.8 in the experimental group compared with 7.0 to 4.6 in the control group.

These findings are consistent with previous research demonstrating that evidence-based nursing practices can significantly reduce postoperative pain and improve patient recovery outcomes.

Similarly, systematic reviews have reported that nursing educational interventions and non-pharmacological approaches such as relaxation techniques and patient education can reduce postoperative pain and anxiety.

Structured pain management protocols that include regular assessment and individualized care have also been shown to improve patient comfort and functional recovery after surgery.

Thus, the integration of structured nursing interventions into postoperative care protocols is essential for improving surgical patient outcomes.

Conclusion

The study concluded that structured nursing interventions are effective in reducing postoperative pain among surgical patients. Patients who received structured nursing care demonstrated significantly lower pain scores compared with those receiving routine care. Implementing systematic pain assessment, patient education, relaxation techniques, and early mobilization can improve postoperative recovery and patient satisfaction.

Implications for Nursing Practice

Implementation of standardized pain assessment tools.
Integration of non-pharmacological interventions.
Training nurses in structured pain management protocols.
Improving documentation of pain management practices.

Limitations

Small sample size.
Conducted in a single hospital.
Short follow-up period.

Recommendations

Conduct multicenter randomized controlled trials.
Explore technology-assisted pain monitoring systems.
Evaluate long-term recovery outcomes.

References

Mayhob, M. M., Elsalam, M. A. (2023). Effect of Implementing Evidence Based Nursing Practices on Reducing Postoperative Pain among Patients Undergoing Abdominal Surgery. American Journal of Nursing Research, 11(1):1-11.
Publisher | Google Scholor
Reaza-Alarcón, A., Rodríguez-Martín, B. (2019). Effectiveness of Nursing Educational Interventions in Managing Post-Surgical Pain. Systematic Review. Investigacion y educacion en enfermeria, 37(2).
Publisher | Google Scholor
Crowe, L., Chang, A., Fraser, J. A., Gaskill, D., Nash, R., et al. (2008). Systematic Review of The Effectiveness of Nursing Interventions in Reducing or Relieving Post-Operative Pain. International Journal of Evidence‐Based Healthcare, 6(4):396-430.
Publisher | Google Scholor
Mensah, S. (2025). Optimizing Pain Management Strategies in Postoperative Surgical Patients: A Nursing Perspective. Journal of Medicine and Surgical Nursing, 2(1):38-44.
Publisher | Google Scholor
An, J., An, X., Li, B. (2026). Best Evidence Summary for Postoperative Pain Management in Adult ICU Patients. Journal of Pain Research, 576541.
Publisher | Google Scholor

Delia Teresa Sponza

"Journal of BioMed Research and Reports has created a diverse portfolio in peer review process and provides a wide range scientific and medical novel papers to the scientists. This journal publishes high-quality, peer-reviewed content across all levels of professional development and corporate research and development."

Fatema Tashrifwala

I would like to thank the editorial team for their timely responses and consideration in the publication of my paper. They have been very helpful and accommodating, Lastly, being an open access journal, the published work is freely available and accessible to readers at no cost to them. I would encourage other authors to publish their research in BioRes Scientia. I am happy to be a part of BioRes Scientia Publishers.

Dr Nikhil Vitthal Dayama

I would like to thank the editorial team for their timely and prompt responses and consideration in the publication of my case report. Being an open access journal, it will be great help for the readers to learn the new things without any cost. I would encourage the authors to publish their research in BioRes Scientia and I am happy to be part of this journal.

Boubacar Ahy Diatta

I warmly thank the editorial team for the excellent work they do for continuing medical education in Dermatology. I was able to discover with joy their professionalist, their support and above all appreciate their social generosity on the access to the magazines which is free. This allows an update of scientific knowledge to the entire scientific community. I gladly recommend authors for publication in this journal.

Professor Rajko Igic

The editor of JBRR helped me during the whole process, mainly to eliminate some typographical and other errors. It hastened this publication to be published quickly. Although it is a short text, I believe that the content is important for all medical and other scientific disciplines because eventual addition of the iC citations to citation of the paper would lead to proper assessment of the author's contribution.

Dr Tewodros kassahun Tarekegn

I am thrilled to have had the opportunity to publish my research article in this prestigious journal. The entire process of peer review and publication support provided by the editorial office was exceptional, and it fortified my belief in the quality of my research study. The rigorous peer review process ensured that only the highest quality research was published, and the feedback from the reviewers was extremely helpful. I appreciate the journal's commitment to open access publication, enabling my research to reach a wider audience. The easy-to-use online platform streamlined the submission, peer review, and publication process, and I would confidently recommend this journal to any author looking for efficient, rigorous, and high-quality peer-reviewed publication.

Francis Okello Ooko

I was impressed by your author-centred approach whereby you maintained constant and timely communication with us from the time we submitted the manuscript to acceptance, each time providing critical suggestions to improve the manuscript. In addition, we are encouraged by the thoroughness of your editorial team in checking the originality and overall, quality of the work. Which I believe is very encouraging to other researchers and authors who wish to publish their work in your journals. The published work and the information imparted is freely available and accessible to a wide spectrum of readers at no cost to them. I would encourage other authors to publish their research in BioRes Scientia. I am happy to be a part of BioRes Scientia Publishers.

Dr Nidhi Sapolia

I would like to thank the editorial team of their timely response and guidance in the publication of my case report. They have been extremely helpful at all stages. Being an open access journal, it is of great help for the readers to learn new experiences in different fields, I would highly recommend this journal to authors for high quality peer-reviewed publications.

Dwight L Mckee MD CNS ABIHM

I am very impressed by the high quality of the papers published by the International Journal of Clinical and Molecular Oncology. The editors of this journal are a pleasure to work with, as they are highly responsive even to numerous last minute changes in the manuscript that I recently published with them, and the changes are made on-line the same day they are received. I highly recommend this journal to anyone working in the oncology field, and also value it as a source of cutting edge information in the field.

Kyaw Swar Thet

I would like to thank the editorial team for the opportunity to publish our case report in this prestigious journal. I am very impressed by their timely and efficient handling of the submission, peer review, and publication processes. As residents of a developing, low-income country, we greatly appreciate the discount on submission charges. I hope that as an open access journal, it will facilitate easy access for readers to update their scientific knowledge. I highly recommend this journal for high-quality, peer-reviewed publications. I express my sincere gratitude to the editorial team for their excellent work.

Michel Farah

I would like to thank the editorial team for their quick response and support. The publication support and editorial office were excellent and very helpful. I am happy to have my research article published in this prestigious journal. Our previous case report published in this journal was very successful and viewed by many physicians worldwide.

Kristina Dimitrijevic

I am very positively surprised by thе International Journal of Biomedical and Clinical Research, as well as by the review process itself, which is carried out in a high-quality, timely and professional manner. I am glad that my articles are part of this journal.

Hamid Kasim

I had the pleasure of working with your esteemed journal. I testify that the peer review process was effective and quick, the support from the editorial office is very professional, respectful and friendly and the quality of the review is objective and accurate. I am grateful for the opportunity to work with International Journal of Biomedical & Clinical Research and looking forward for more future cooperation.

Ochala Ejura J

The interaction with the Journal of Women Health Care and Gynaecology has been seamless. I wish to express my profound appreciation to your expert editorial team for the timely response and support. The feedbacks from the peer review process was of great help. Thank you for the discount and opportunity to publish in your reputable journal. I believe that being an Open access journal, it will enable readers easy access to to update their knowledge. I would recommend BioRes Scientia publishers and look forward to more collaborations.

Fernando M Clara

I would like to thank the Journal of Clinical Cardiology and Cardiology Research for the opportunity to publish our work. We greatly appreciate the professionalism demonstrated throughout the editorial process. The rapid peer review, along with the high-quality graphic design, streamlined the process and significantly improved the final presentation of our manuscript. The Journal’s support for scientific dissemination is a meaningful incentive for ongoing research. We commend your editorial efforts and extend our best wishes for the Journal's continued success.

Dr Stylianos Sergios Chatziioannou

Journal of BioMed Research and Reports process was constructive and timely, ensuring that the scientific rigor of the manuscript was upheld. Communication with the editorial office was smooth and supportive throughout, making the overall publication experience very positive. I appreciate the efforts of the editorial team in maintaining high-quality standards, and I am confident that the journal will continue to grow in impact and recognition.

Dr C Zeroual

I am pleased to have worked with the Journal of Brain Research and Neurology. The editorial team was responsive and supportive throughout the process, and the peer review was handled efficiently. I appreciate the opportunity to contribute to this journal and look forward to future collaborations

Mohammadreza Kashefi Baher

I am pleased to have published my research in Dentistry and Oral Health Care. The peer review process was efficient and respectful, and I appreciated the timely communication and support from the editorial team. The journal maintains a professional standard and provides an accessible platform for sharing scientific work. I am grateful for the opportunity and look forward to contributing again in the future.

Cidalia De Fatima Cabral De Frias

I would like to thank the editorial team of International Journal of Biomedical and Clinical Research for their prompt and timely responses during the review process of my article. I had the opportunity to share with the academic community my understanding of the process of caring for a person at the end of life. I recommend the publication of research in the area of palliative care in this prestigious journal.

Roxana Maria Hoza

The peer review process at Hematology Research and Blood Disorders is fair and constructive. The editorial office provides excellent support and timely communication. The journal maintains high quality and is a trusted platform for hematology research.

Dr Hamid Kasim

I was very pleased to collaborate with your esteemed Journal of BioMed Research and Reports, and I also thank the editorial board and the reviewers who enriched my article with their very helpful comments, resulting in a beautiful and elegant presentation. I hope our collaboration will continue in the future, With my respect and best wishes for your continued success.

Dr Sabita Sinha

I would like to sincerely thank the editorial team for their excellent support and for handling the review process smoothly. The entire publication process was well organized and easy to follow. My special thanks go to Katherine Bailey Ma'am for her continuous guidance and support from article submission to publication. Her assistance made the experience very positive and encouraging. I truly enjoyed the process and would highly recommend this Journal of BioMed Research and Reports to other researchers.