Abstract
Statement of Problem:
Premature newborns often spend time in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), where they may be subjected to painful procedures. Pharmacological and non-pharmacological neonatal pain management is important to decrease the consequences of pain on the developmental outcomes of premature neonates. There are pharmacological interventions, such as morphine and fentanyl. There are also non-pharmacological interventions, such as sucrose and glucose, non-nutritive sucking, facilitated tucking, kangaroo care, and music therapy. Parents or caregivers are often unprepared for this and go through a variety of distress and complex emotions. Providing parents or caregivers with a tool to process and understand the extensive information about pain and pain management in the NICU will positively impact their confidence, self-efficacy, and agency. This can lead to further positive outcomes for the neonate’s development and the parent or caregiver’s mental wellbeing.
Sources of Data:
Creation of the parent/caregiver handbook on canva.com relied on studies and articles published in scholarly journals. The imagery and art in the booklet were contributed by members of the NICU community.
Conclusions Reached:
The booklet was posted online for an anonymous evaluation from both medical professionals and parents/caregivers. The overall feedback was positive regarding the potential benefits of this tool. Minor changes were suggested with the conclusion this booklet has the potential to be used in a hospital NICU.