Pain Management Perceptions of the Neonatal Nurses in NICUs and Neonatal Units in Ardebil, Iran

Background: Despite the growing knowledge on pain assessment and intervention, neonatal pain remains unrecognized and under-treated. This study aimed to determine the knowledge and practice of the neonatal nurses in pain assessment and management. Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on 120 neonatal nurses working in the Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) and neonatal units in Ardebil, Iran, using the census method. For data collection, Nurses’ Perceptions of Neonatal Pain questionnaire developed by Cong was employed, which includes two open ended and 36 Likert scale questions. The collected data were analyzed, using descriptive statistics (frequency and percentage) and qualitative content analysis method. Results: As the results of the study indicated, the nurses had adequate level of knowledge about the neonatal pain. However, less than 50% of them believed receiving suitable training on this issue. The majority of the participants reported that they did not use any pain assessment tools (65%). Less than half of them expressed that the pain assessment tools used in their units were accurate measures (44.2%). Likewise, less than half of the nurses reported that pain was well managed in their institution (28.3%) with evidence-based protocols (34.2%). In addition, more than half of the subjects reported that parents should be involved with the care and comfort of their infants during the painful procedures (71.6%). Conclusion: Nurses’ perceptions of well-managed pain had a significant relationship with adequate training, use of appropriate and accurate pain tools, clear and evidence-based protocols, and parent involvement.