Abstract
BackgroundAim: To describe parent's participation in their infants’ procedural pain alleviation using nonpharmacologic methods in neonatal and neonatal intensive care units. MethodA descriptive cross-sectional survey study was carried out in four Estonian hospitals between 2019 and 2020. Data were collected by using a validated questionnaire comprised of three sections: (1) background information of parents and infants; (2) nonpharmacologic methods used by parents; and (3) parental guidance by nurses on the methods. Altogether 280 questionnaires were distributed to parents and 232 of them were received back. Finally, 189 of them were included in the study (response rate 67.5%). The data were analyzed using descriptive and analytical statistics. Analysis of open-ended questions followed principles of inductive content analysis. ResultsMost participants reported using nonpharmacologic methods, such as holding and placing the infant in a more comfortable position, nearly always/always (61%, 62%, respectively). However, rarely used methods included skin-to-skin contact (7%), breastfeeding the infant (7%), and listening to recorded music (3%). While studying a correlation between the parents’ use of nonpharmacologic methods and their guidance, we found a correlation among all nonpharmacologic methods. However, almost half (48%) of the parents reported that the nurses advised them “sometimes” or “nearly always/ always” to go elsewhere during painful procedures rather than participating in alleviation of the infant´s pain. ConclusionsThe parents reported using mostly the nonpharmacologic methods that were easy to implement and did not require thorough instructions in preparation. In addition, it seemed that parents wanted to be more involved in their infant's pain alleviation, but they were advised not to take part in painful procedures and pain alleviation for various reasons. Therefore, more attention should be paid to the principles of family-centered care. As health care providers, we should welcome all families as team members to involve in their infants’ pain alleviation in the neonatal and neonatal intensive care units.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.