Neonatal pain management among nurses and midwives at two Kigali hospitals

Abstract

BackgroundThe care of high-risk neonates in intensive care units is a relatively new field in resource-limited countries. Consequently, pain management of neonates has not been included or considered as part of neonatal care. Neonatal pain is more difficult to assess than adult pain, as they are unable to self-report. Nurses and midwives caring for neonates have a professional responsibility to recognise and manage neonatal pain. ObjectivesTo assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of nurses and midwives providing neonatal pain management at two hospitals in Kigali. Methodology A descriptive cross-sectional design was used. Data were collected from a convenience sample of 66 nurses and midwives providing neonatal care. Data analysis was achieved through descriptive and inferential statistics. ResultsThe majority (74.2%) demonstrated a low level of knowledge of neonatal pain and its management. Over half (51.5%) had a positive attitude toward neonatal pain management, though over three quarters (84.8%) reported a low level of integrating pain management into practice. ConclusionsThere is a knowledge deficit among the nurses and midwives providing neonatal pain management. A gap lies between their attitude and practice. More educational opportunities are needed to better assess and manage pain in the neonatal patient.Rwanda J Med Health Sci 2019;2(2):138-146.

Knowledge and Practice of Nurses and Associated Factors in Managing Neonatal Pain at Selected Public Hospitals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2020

“…This was in contrast with the studies done in Rwanda and Brazil which reported that the majority of participants always use more than one non-pharmacological intervention to relieve pain in new-borns. 14 , 15 From the current study, the uses of comfort measures give the impression not understandable as an essential role of nurses. It might be result in ineffective neonatal pain management with comfort.…”

“…The proportion means of nurses’ knowledge and practice regarding neonatal pain management were taken from a previous related study conducted in Uganda since there is no related previous study in Ethiopia; they were 61.74% and 52.08%, respectively. 14 A 95% confidence level with 0.05 margin of error was assumed.…”

French Translation, Adaptation, and Initial Validation of the Nurses’ Attitudes and Perceptions of Pain Assessment in Neonatal Intensive Care Questionnaire (NAPPAQ)

“…The perceptions and nursing practices of pain management in the NICU are of interest to clinicians and researchers worldwide ( Akuma & Jordan, 2012 ;Khoza & Tjale, 2014 ;Muteteli et al, 2019 ). Adequate assessment requires appropriate and valid instruments supported by satisfactory psychometric properties in different languages such as French.…”

“…Barriers to the implementation of effective interventions by nurses have been identified in recent studies. These include negative attitudes and lack of knowledge about pain in preterm infants ( Muteteli et al, 2019 ), as well as the absence of opportunities for continuing education ( Mohamadamini et al, 2017 ). Thus, examining nurses' perceptions of pain management practices for preterm infants is essential to offer insights on nursing practices that should be promoted in the NICU.…”

“…To our knowledge, 10 instruments measuring a combination of nurses' perceptions, pain assessment practices, or pain management interventions have been developed in different countries from South Africa ( Khoza & Tjale, 2014 ), Rwanda ( Muteteli et al, 2019 ), India ( Mathew et al, 2011 ), Finland ( Pölkki et al, 2010 ), the United States ( Cong et al, 2013 ), and England ( Akuma & Jordan, 2012 ). Considering that nurses' perceptions may depend on the local culture and the resources available in the units ( Johnston et al, 2007 ), it is important to select an instrument that applies to our culture and environment and was developed following a rigorous process.…”