The present study analyses the representations of nurses, who were either students of a Pediatric Health or a Neonatal Nursing specialization courses in different universities in the city of Rio de Janeiro. This work was based on the theoretical framework of Social Representations. The methods used were dynamics of creativity and sensibility, as well as semi-structured interviews. Results showed that nurses have a subjective representation of the pain, and that these representations are influenced by their own life experiences. It also concluded that the nurse's personal experiences interfere in their professional attitudes and sensitivity towards the reaction of children and newborns who undergo painful treatments.
pain; newborn and children; nursing; social representation