Helping NICU Parents Understand About Pain

The NICU at Panorama Medical Center wasn’t happy with their pain management rating.

But they also knew that managing pain for babies was completely unlike managing pain for adults.

So they felt it was incumbent upon them to explain to concerned parents how they were treating their infant.

“Our patients can’t tell us what they feel,” says Casey Koenig, one of the unit’s RNs. “And we know there are times we might cause pain.”

Those painful procedures might include when a nurse pricks a baby’s heel to draw blood or needs to starts an IV.

The caregivers’ challenge was not only to manage the baby’s pain but also to alleviate parents’ anxieties and manage their expectations. Less-than-stellar scores further motivated team members.

To improve their communication, they created a script to help explain what was going on. This included the type and severity of pain their newborns might experience. and what steps providers would take to manage it.

After the changes, scores jumped to 100 percent.

The scripts also helped nurses to deliver better service as they realized they needed to start coaching parents as soon as babies are admitted to the NICU.

After all, moms have just given birth and concerned parents may be distracted.

“It may not sink in the first time,” Koenig says.

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