Differences in Neonatologist and Nurse Perceptions of Procedural Pain Intensity and Management

Area of Science:

• Neonatal care
• Pain management
• Healthcare professional collaboration

Background:

• Effective pain assessment is crucial for newborn care.
• Discrepancies in pain assessment and management between healthcare provider groups are not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare physician and nurse perceptions of neonatal procedural pain.
• To evaluate healthcare provider adherence to Japanese neonatal pain management guidelines.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional survey conducted in Japanese hospitals with neonatal intensive care units.
• Questionnaires administered to both physicians and nurses.

Main Results:

• Nurses generally reported higher newborn pain perception than physicians across most procedures.
• While over 80% of hospitals reported adherence to 5 guideline recommendations, divergent opinions existed between physicians and nurses on some aspects.
• Significant differences were noted in pain assessment and management practices.

Conclusions:

• Healthcare professional disparities in neonatal pain assessment and management exist.
• Enhanced interprofessional cooperation and communication are essential for optimizing newborn patient care.