Title
Neonatal Pain Knowledge
Preview
Creation Date
10-2017
Description
Pain and stress negatively alter normal brain development and function in neonates. Patients in the NICU experience repeated exposure to multiple painful procedures and noxious stimuli. The infant may have lasting neurodevelopmental consequences if pain is not appropriately treated. There is a nursing knowledge deficit regarding the deleterious effects of unmanaged neonatal pain. There was no baseline data on the knowledge level of NICU nurses. A pain survey was initially administered to understand where the gaps in pain management were. An educational program was collaboratively developed by physicians and nurses and was offered to all direct care givers. Topics addressed included deleterious effects of unmanaged pain, a more comprehensive pain assessment tool, a standardized plan for physician response to pain, and nursing care strategies to respond to pain. Nursing staff were required to attend. Concurrently, a guideline for the medical management of neonatal pain was implemented to standardize the physician’s response to neonatal pain. A follow-up survey is planned to assess the impact of these changes. It is our hope that by implementing an educational program, standardizing pain assessment, and standardizing management, that nursing knowledge will be enriched and attitudes will be changed in order to improve pain management and outcomes in the neonatal population.