LOCUS OF CONTROL ORIENTATION AND LEVEL - Drake University

CHAPTER I
DIMENSIONS OF THE PROBLEM
Perceptions of pain relief in postoperative persons and health locus of
control were investigated in this study. Persons who had abdominal surgery
between May 1, 1991 and July 1, 1992 at a large Midwestern medical center
and had epidural analgesia to controf. pain were invited to participate in this
study. Those who agreed to participate were asked to complete the Multi-
dimensional Health Locus of Control (MHLC) scales that are designed to
categorize respondents into IHLC (internal health locus of control), PHLC
(powerful others health locus of control) and CHLC (chance health locus of
control). Subjects' hospital records were then reviewed to obmn data about
their perception of pain relief with epidural analgesia while recovering from
abdominal surgery. The nurses providing patient care followed a protocol that
required them to ask and record the patient's perception of pain relief on a scale
of 0 to 10 and "0" representing "no pain,'"T5" as "~iioderate painl'aand " 10,"
"extreme pain. "
Pain is often a perplexing phenomenon that challenges nurses. Carr
(1990) described postoperative wound pain as a "major under-recognized
problem" (p. 89). Ketovuori (1987) documented that 80% of surgical patients
suffer moderate to intense pain after surgery desplre the use of analgesics. The
n& to gain insight into the pain experience of the postoperative patient goes
beyond a subjective casual interest. Rather, it is an obligation of those involved
in provision of health care to gain understanding or' the pain experience. Carr
(1990) stated that "Pain relief is desirable not onlv for humane and moral