Neonatal pain: non-pharmacological measures used by the nursing team

Abstract

This study aimed to identify the procedures considered painful for the nursing team and to verify the non-pharmacological measures on pain relief and comfort used by the nursing team in the neonatal care. It is a descriptive, exploratory study of quantitative approach whose data collection was performed at a Neonatal Unit of a maternity in the City of Rio de Janeiro in 2008. Out of the thirty five (35) nursing professionals who were interviewed, who acted in the assistance to the newborn in the Neonatal Unit, it could be observed that 29 (82.9%) were nurse aides and six (17.1%) were nurses. As for non-pharmaco­logical measures used by the nursing professionals the majority used as main measures the containment, non-nutritive su­cking, oral glucose solution, lap and rolling up. The conclusion was that there was a concern of the nursing team in adopting measures to minimize pain in the newborn during hospitalization.