Nurses' practical knowledge on the clinical management of neonatal pain: a descriptive study

Abstract

Aim:  to  analyze  the  practical  knowledge  of  nurses  on  clinical management of neonatal pain. Methods: a descriptive, exploratory and qualitative study held with 20 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit nurses of two public maternity hospitals in the city  of  Niterói.  Data  were  collected  through  semi-structured  interviews  and  analysed targeting  the  construction  of  thematic  categories.  Results:  the  categories  found  were associated  with  the  perception  of  nurses  regarding  neonatal  pain  and  their  knowledge and actions regarding the clinical management of this neonatal symptom.  It was found nurses  lack  knowledge  of  the  clinical  management  of  pain,  which  is  not  a  part  of  the neonatal  care  daily  routine,  also  being  unaware  of  the  application  of  rating  scales  for pain  assessment.  Conclusion:  possessing  scientific  knowledge  is  crucial,  as  it  provides required  methods  for  neonatal  care,  focusing  on the improvement  of the  quality  of the health  care  provided  and  in  the  humanization  of  nursing  care,  considering  pain  as  the fifth vital sign