Objective:
To characterize the nursing staff and identify how it assesses and manages pain for preterm newborns (PNB).
Methods:
Descriptive exploratory study conducted in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and Intermediate Care Unit of a university hospital in Uberaba, MG, Brazil. The study included 42 nursing professionals.
Results:
A total of 33 (78.6%) nursing technicians and nine (21.4%) nurses participated in the study. Thirteen (31%) were aged from 26 to 30 years old and were female. The participants were unanimous in regard to the ability of infants to feel pain. Crying (42/100%), facial expressions (40/95.2%), and heart rate (39/92.8%) were the parameters most frequently mentioned. Non-pharmacological measures were the most frequently used to relieve pain.
Conclusion:
The team believes in the ability of infants to feel pain and links physiological indicators to behavioral ones, but there is a need to provide training on the topic.
Pediatric nursing; Pain; Infant, Newborn